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| Belfast murder victim Paschal 'Basil' McAfee 'hit with axe' | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| North Belfast murder victim Paschal 'Basil' McAfee had head wounds consistent with being hit with an axe, police have said. | |
| Mr McAfee's body was found by his mother at a house in Henderson Avenue, off the Cavehill Road, on 20 December. | Mr McAfee's body was found by his mother at a house in Henderson Avenue, off the Cavehill Road, on 20 December. |
| Police disclosed more details about the murder as they released CCTV images of Mr McAfee from the last day he was seen alive. | |
| Mr McAfee had also been stabbed with a knife and his house was ransacked. | |
| Some items, including money, were taken. There were no signs of forced entry, no weapons found | |
| Police have said they do not know if more than one person attacked Mr McAfee. | |
| "What we believe has happened is that at some time on the evening of Thursday 19 December somebody has entered Basil's house," Det Ch Insp John McVea said. | |
| "We know that he has been struck on the head several times by a sharp heavy instrument, consistent with an axe. | |
| "He has then been stabbed quite a number of times by a long-bladed knife. | |
| "This has been a very brutal and vicious attack and we're unclear at the minute and we're keeping an open mind about what the motive has been." | |
| He said a neighbour said he thought he had seen Mr McAfee at about 20:00 GMT on the Thursday. | |
| DCI McVea also said he believed it was an attack by someone who knew Mr McAfee. | |
| The CCTV images were taken in an off-licence on the Cavehill Road on the afternoon of Thursday 19 December. | |
| "These images are a better likeness of Basil than a previously issued photo," said DCI McVea. | |
| "We want people to look at them and think about whether they recognise Basil and whether they saw him any time between 4pm on Thursday 19 December in the off-licence until he was found in Henderson Avenue at 1pm on Friday 20 December. | "We want people to look at them and think about whether they recognise Basil and whether they saw him any time between 4pm on Thursday 19 December in the off-licence until he was found in Henderson Avenue at 1pm on Friday 20 December. |
| "We believe Basil was with other people, but so far they have not come forward. We need to know who he was with and where he was. | "We believe Basil was with other people, but so far they have not come forward. We need to know who he was with and where he was. |
| "This was a savage, frenzied attack. A number of items were taken from the house. Whoever did this is a danger to others in the community while still at large." | "This was a savage, frenzied attack. A number of items were taken from the house. Whoever did this is a danger to others in the community while still at large." |
| DCI McVea said police were following a number of lines of inquiry. | DCI McVea said police were following a number of lines of inquiry. |
| He urged anyone with information to contact them on 0845 600 8000 or anonymously on Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111." | He urged anyone with information to contact them on 0845 600 8000 or anonymously on Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111." |
| A 34-year-old man arrested on 23 December as part of the investigation was released on Boxing Day. | A 34-year-old man arrested on 23 December as part of the investigation was released on Boxing Day. |