Pub death accused sends sympathies to victim's family

A man accused of the manslaughter of a father-of-two in the North at the weekend has expressed his heartfelt sympathy to the victim’s family and friends following the tragedy, a magistrates court heard today.

Raymond Paul Hamilton, 36, from Travers Place, in Dervock, near Ballymoney in Co Antrim, today had strict bail conditions imposed on him after he faced a charge of unlawfully killing Darren Murphy in Armoy.

Mr Murphy’s body was found outside a bar in the Co Antrim village at around 2am on Sunday and he died at the scene.

The victim left behind a 10-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son.

Ballymena Magistrates Court was told that the victim and the accused knew each other.

Detective Sergeant Paul Meikle confirmed that police understood Mr Murphy hit his head against a wall but could not confirm suggestions that the conditions were icy.

The court was also told that Hamilton, who sat in the dock in a dark suit and black tie with his head in his hands staring at the floor during the hearing, had been unemployed for four months.

Police did not object to stringent bail conditions being imposed upon him.

These included staying at an address in Ballymena and reporting to police on a daily basis, adhering to an alcohol ban, observing a curfew between 8pm and 8am, registering with a GP in the Ballymena area and making no contact with the victim’s family or anyone else who was in the bar.

The court was told by the accused’s solicitor that Hamilton “does express his heartfelt sympathies to the deceased, the deceased’s family and friends at this tragic incident”.

Hamilton is scheduled to appear before magistrates again in Coleraine on January 21.