Murder charges withdrawn

Sunday World reporter Martin O'Hagan was shot dead in September 2001 as he walked home with his wife from a pub in the town.

In September 2008 five men were charged in connection with Mr O'Hagan's murder. They were Drew King, his brother Robin, Nigel Lecky, Mark Kennedy and Neil Hyde.

The charges have been withdrawn against all of the men except Hyde, who is due to appear in court next month.

Drew King, Lecky and Hyde were charged with murdering the reporter while Robin King was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice and Kennedy was accused of helping to conceal a getaway car.

The charges against the King brothers, Lecky and Kennedy were withdrawn by the Public Prosecution Service at a court hearing in Craigavon on Friday.

Drew King's solicitors, Madden and Finucane, said they had repeatedly raised issues about the credibility of a witness upon whose evidence the murder charge rested.

"We have had serious concerns about the PPS relying on his evidence in circumstances where no other evidence at all connected our client to the offence," they said.

In spite of the withdrawal of charges it's understood the four men could still face prosecution. A PPS spokesperson said: "The prosecution case will continue to be progressed against all of the accused."