One of the eight Co Antrim men accused of murdering a Ballymoney, Co Antrim RUC man Mr Greg Taylor (41) could be acquitted of the killing on Monday after the prosecution yesterday accepted he had no case to answer.
As well as deciding on the fate of Mr Mark McIntyre (29), Northern Ireland's Lord Chief Justice, Sir Robert Carswell, will also rule on defence applications on his seven co-defendants, that they too have no case to answer and that their Belfast Crown Court trial should be stopped.
Like Mr McIntyre they deny the murder of Mr Taylor, who was attacked by a loyalist mob outside a sweet shop in the Co Antrim town early on June 1st last year The co-accused are: Mr Leslie Thomas Henry (31), of Eastburn Crescent; Mr Alastair Samuel Stevenson (31), of Vow Road; Mr Samuel Coulter (33), of Semicock Park; Mr Trevor McLaughlin (25), of Long Lane; Mr Jason Wilmont (20), of Agherton Gardens; Mr Shane Brown (25), of Finvoy Road, all Ballymoney, and Mr Daniel Stewart (33), of McArthur Avenue, Dervock.