Five quizzed over schoolboy murder
Five people were today being questioned about the brutal murder of a schoolboy savagely beaten in a sectarian attack in the North.
Fifteen-year-old Catholic Michael McIlveen died in hospital last night after being attacked at the weekend.
He was chased from an entertainment complex in Ballymena, Co Antrim, just after midnight on Sunday after getting a takeaway pizza.
He was battered by a gang of thugs who cornered him in an alleyway and allegedly used a baseball bat before stamping on his head.
The full extent of his injuries was only discovered when he managed to get home. He was taken from his home in the Dunvale Estate to the Antrim Area Hospital, where his family maintained a bedside vigil until his life-support machine was switched off at 8pm last night.
Police chiefs in the town have confirmed they are treating the attack as sectarian, and have urged public representatives to help ease tensions and prevent retaliatory attacks.
The assault has shocked Ballymena, a mainly Protestant town plagued by sectarian tensions, which include frequent clashes between rival gangs.
A 19-year-old man has already been charged with an attack on another victim 24 hours after Michael, a pupil at St Patrick’s High School, was beaten.
Local MP and Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley today appealed for no reprisal for the murder.
He said: “As we move towards the marching season I would appeal for calm. Any reprisal or upping the ante would serve no purpose other than to make matters worse.
“I would call on all sides to pull back from the brink before tragedy is multiplied by catastrophe.”
Mr Paisley, who has spoken to and prayed with the McIlveen family, added: “This was a horrific attack that will be condemned by all right-thinking and law-abiding people in Ballymena.
“Those responsible have nothing whatsoever to offer to the people of the town and must face the full rigours of the law.”
He appealed to those with any information to come forward and help police bring to justice those responsible for the “heinous attack”.
Northern Secretary Peter Hain said he was appalled by the killing and urged the public to give police their full assistance.
He said: “This was a sickening sectarian attack that has taken the life of a teenager with his whole life in front of him.”
Mr Hain said the teenager’s family was grieving and his thoughts were with them at this terrible time.
“Those who are responsible for this murderous attack must be brought to justice, and anyone with information must bring it to the police.
“Everyone will condemn this murder, which drags Northern Ireland back to the dark days of the past,” he added.
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