Court brawl as trio face murder charges

Fighting broke out today in a courtroom where two men and a teenage girl were facing murder charges.

Fists flew when relatives of the victim clashed with those of one of the accused at Newtownards Magistrates’ Court in Co Down.

One man was wrestled to the floor by police, handcuffed, marched out of the building and driven off in a police car.

An ambulance was called after a woman was overcome and collapsed unconscious on the floor.

Police shouted “Stay calm, stay calm” as extra officers were rushed into the courtroom and an alarm bell was rung throughout the building.

The trouble broke out after two men in their 40s and an 18-year-old woman faced the court charged with the murder of Edward Kelly, whose body was found in his rented room at a house in Bangor, Co Down, last week.

Mr Kelly (aged 59) was a lodger at the premises in Central Avenue in the seaside town. Police said he had suffered serious head injuries.

More than a dozen relatives of Mr Kelly stood in the public gallery surrounded by police as the accused appeared one after the other in the dock just feet away.

Those accused were Daniel Martin Hargan (aged 46) of Dufferin Avenue, Bangor, Tammy McDowell (aged 18) of the same address, and Polish national Jerzy Zalewski (aged 45) from a different address in the same street.

A detective told the court that when she charged the accused, Hargan and McDowell replied: “Not guilty” and Zalewski responded: “I didn’t kill nobody”.

She said she believed she could connect all three to the charges.

An interpreter was used to explain the proceedings to the East European.

All three were remanded in custody until July 7 to appear via video link at Castlereagh Magistrates’ Court.

A third man questioned about the death of Mr Kelly was released on police bail without charge last night pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.