Eamonn Magee Jr Murder: Orca Koca To Serve 14 Years

The Turkish man convicted of stabbing Eamonn Magee Jr to death is to serve a minimum of 14 years in prison.

Orhan Koca admitted murder just before his trial was due to begin.

Mr Magee, 22, was stabbed in the Twinbrook area in west Belfast on 30 May, 2015.

Detective Superintendent John McVea said: "Our thoughts today are with the family of Eamonn Magee Jr.

"They have understandably found this whole process extremely emotional and harrowing. They are still coming to terms with the loss of a beloved son and brother, whose life was cruelly cut short due to the jealous rage of Orhan Koca.

"Eamonn was a young man in the prime of his life and had a very promising future in boxing. His dreams to take his boxing career to a higher level will now never be realised and his family have been denied a future with Eamonn. He was a popular young man and had been studying engineering at Ulster University.

"This was a brutal murder and one which Orhan Koca carried out in a jealous rage."

Detective Superintendent McVea said: "While we hope that the life sentence given  to Orhan Koca today, will, in some small way, provide comfort and a degree of closure for the Magee family, let's not forget they are still facing a lifetime without their loved one. 

I would like to thank the community in West Belfast for their co-operation and assistance in this investigation. They provided information and made statements which all helped police make a speedy arrest only hours after the murder and place Orhan Koca before the courts to face the consequences of his heinous actions."

(CD)