Legion Murder Victim Named

The man who was killed last night after an incident in a local Royal British Legion Club has been named.

Kevin Coiley (45) died in his Longlands Park home last night and it is understood he had been at the Whitehouse Royal British Legion club at Old Church Road during the evening. He left with two others at about 11pm last night.

The Legion Club is popular with customers from the local – mostly nationalist Bawnmore estate – especially so since the nearest licensed premises, the Boundary Bar at Shore Road, was gutted in a fire a few months ago and has since been closed.

The attack is therefore unlikely to have been of a sectarian nature.

Police want to hear from anyone who was in the club at any time on Wednesday evening and may have noticed a disturbance.

Mr Coiley's family said they were devastated by his death and his son, who did not want to be named, said: "We're all pretty shocked and very upset for this to happen.

"It's coming up to Christmas too. We don't know too much at this time about what happened but my dad came home and then collapsed and we called the ambulance but he died. We don't want to say too much at the minute."

One neighbour of the family said: " This is dreadful. These children have lost their dad. We've been told it was all down to an argument in the club that got out of hand."

The Royal British Legion at nearby Old Church Road remained cordoned off for investigation.

A police spokeswoman said: "Two males arrested on suspicion of murder currently remain in custody.

"A 45-year-old man died following an incident in the Newtownabbey area last night. The man had been at the Royal British Legion in Old Church Road. He left at around 11pm in the company of two other people. He died a short time later."

(BMcC)