Man, 26, charged with seven murders in pub at Greysteel

A 26-year-old man yesterday appeared in court in Northern Ireland accused of the murder of seven people in the Greysteel pub massacre last Saturday night, writes Ian MacKinnon.

Several hundred people who had gathered outside the court in Limavady, Co Londonderry, close to the scene of the shooting, barracked and screamed abuse at Brian McNeil as he was led into court concealed under a blanket and flanked by police officers.

At the special sitting of the court, the shirt-cutter from the Waterside area of Londonderry was charged on seven counts of murder, one of membership of the outlawed Ulster Defence Association, and possession of ammunition and a rifle, pistol and sawn- off shotgun. He was remanded in custody to appear in Belfast on 12 November.

Earlier in the week another man, Derek Grieve, 24, also from the Waterside area, was charged with withholding evidence from police and providing a false alibi in connection with the shootings at the Rising Sun pub.