Seven held over Belfast murder
Saturday, 20 Oct 2007 16:33
Billy Hutchinson works in the Mount Vernon district of Belfast
A top loyalist politician is believed to be one of seven people being questioned by police over the murder of a Belfast schoolboy.
Billy Hutchinson, a leading Progressive Unionist and former member of the Stormont Assembly is thought to be among those held as police investigate the killing of Thomas Devlin.
The 15-year-old was stabbed up to five times in the back near his north Belfast home in August 2005, while walking back from a petrol station with friends.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland's Crime Operations Unit detained three men and a woman today after early morning raids, while another man and two women were arrested yesterday.
A police spokesperson confirmed that four males and three females are being in questioned in the Serious Crimes Suite at Antrim Police Station.
The arrests were made in and around the Mount Vernon estate - a loyalist area - where Mr Hutchinson works in a community development role.
Dawn Purvis, leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, told the Irish Times of her shock at Mr Hutchinson's detainment.
"I was absolutely gobsmacked at his arrest," she said. "But it is my understanding that he has not been arrested in relation to the killing of Thomas Devlin but that he has been arrested in respect of things he has been saying recently."
The latest arrests following the discovering of a knife near a Mount Vernon property on Monday.