THREE men have been sentenced in relation to the killing of a man in Co. Antrim, who police have described as ‘peaceable and well-loved’.
Victor Hamilton, 63, was found dead in the driveway of his home on Orkney Drive, Ballymena on Wednesday, July 27, 2022, having sustained a fatal stab wound.
The father-of-one had moved to the area only a few weeks earlier.
At Belfast Crown Court today, 32-year-old Mamadu Djalo was sentenced to six years for manslaughter, with half to be served on licence.
Mario Menezes, 35, and Michael Hanrahan, 43, were sentenced for withholding information, with each serving a year in custody and a year on licence.
A fourth suspect, believed to have carried out the fatal attack, fled the jurisdiction after the incident.
He has not been extradited to face a murder charge, however, the PSNI say their investigation is ongoing.
‘An innocent life’
“A post mortem examination determined that Mr Victor Hamilton died from a stab wound to his back,” Detective Chief Inspector Neil McGuinness said today.
“We know that four men, including the three defendants, had travelled from Portadown to Ballymena on the evening of July 26 in 2022.
“They went to a property in the Orkney Drive area of the town, and it was here that the attack, which would take an innocent life, took place.
“Victor Hamilton, who lived in the adjacent flat, was a peaceable and well-loved man. Essentially, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“It’s hard to find the right words to convey not only the horror, but also the senselessness, of this vicious stabbing.”
He continued: “Today, my thoughts are with Victor’s many friends and, importantly, with his loving family who have been robbed of a father and a brother.
“It’s almost three years on now, and understandably their pain and sadness continue.”