13/02/2015

Police Appeal Over Wedding Murder

Police have appealed for those involved in the murder of a 63-year-old man at a wedding in Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, to come forward.

Bernard McGinley, from Longford, sustained a gunshot wound to the chest outside St Mary's chapel on Main Street at 13:00 on Wednesday 11 February.

Mr McGinley was then driven by wedding guests to Lisnaskea police station. He was flown by police helicopter to the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, where he died. A second man was injured as a result of the incident but did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

Detective Chief Inspector Una Jennings, from Serious Crime Branch, said: "What should have been a day of joy and celebration has been turned into one of heartbreak and tragedy. I want to offer my sympathies to all those affected by these tragic events.

"We are following a number of very definite lines of enquiry in this investigation, thanks to accounts of events outside the church before the wedding ceremony given to us by other guests. We are continuing to liaise with these individuals and families at this very difficult and tragic time.

"But my appeal today is for those individuals who were involved in the confrontation with Bernard McGinley and other guests in Main Street, and who drove off, to make themselves available to police.

"We are working with our colleagues in An Garda Siochana to locate those individuals. We know who they are. It would be better for all concerned if they made themselves available to police as soon as possible so that we can build a complete picture of what happened yesterday and the background to those tragic events."

(IT/JP)

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