Five questioned over republican's murder

Five people were being questioned today about the murder of a dissident republican in the North.

A 35-year-old man arrested in Dungannon became the fifth person to be questioned about the killing of Martin Conlon, who was abducted and shot in south Armagh.

Police arrested two men, aged 30 and 36, from Armagh earlier today and were also questioning a 30-year-old woman and a male juvenile who have been in custody since yesterday.

They have been examining several possible motives for the murder of Mr Conlon last week, including the possibility that he was attacked because he was gay.

They have also been checking whether he was the victim of a fall-out with former associates linked to the Real IRA.

Mr Conlon, who lived at Railway Street, Armagh, died in hospital after being found unconscious near the neighbouring village of Keady last Monday.

He was freed from jail in the Republic of Ireland last year.

Mr Conlon had been one of six men jailed in Dublin in March 2001 after pleading guilty to training people in the use of firearms.

His body was discovered close to the Madden estate outside Keady and about a mile and a half from where his silver Volkswagen Passat car was later found burned out.