Relatives of a murdered man left a Belfast court in tears today as his best friend was cleared of the killing.
The Belfast Crown Court jury of two women and ten men took 46 minutes to acquit 34-year-old Mr William Albert Potts of murdering his 39-year-old best friend Mark Anthony Graham.
Mr Graham was found lying on his blood soaked sofa in the living room of his Ebor Street home in the Village area of Belfast two years ago last November.
During the attack, his skull was shattered with a hammer and he was repeatedly stabbed in the neck and chest and, twice more in the right leg after he had been killed.
The prosecution had claimed that the "brutal and savage" attack had been carried out by Graham's best friend and drinking buddy, Potts, originally from the Shankhill area but at the time had been living in a hostel in Botanic Avenue.
But by their unanimous 'not guilty' verdict, the jury rejected the prosecution case and their claims that Potts was later overheard shouting a confession to the murder in a panicked attempt to get help from another friend.
Following his acquittal Potts was ushered out the back of the court under the protection of prison and security staff.