Belfast man who killed two men with sword jailed for 14 years

A Belfast man was has been told he will have to spend a minimum of 14 years in prison without parole for the sword murders of two men, including a leading UDA figure.

Albert Armstrong (47) admitted killing Colin 'Bap' Lindsay (47), and Stanley Wightman (52) in an attack in July, 2015.

Both men were found in the blood soaked living room of Mr Lindsay’s Kirkiston Walk bungalow in the Belvoir estate.

They were said to have suffered severe wounds inflicted by a Samurai sword. Mr Lindsay was almost decapitated and Mr Wightman nearly had a hand severed off in the attack.

Passing a tariff sentence, Mr Justice Treacy said the two victim had died as a result of "catastrophic injuries following an altercation".

He told the court the men, who had been drinking with Armstrong all day, sustained “multiple incisive wounds to the neck which had been carried out with considerable force with a Samurai sword”.

Mr Lindsay, a father of two, was pronounced dead at the scene on July 8th, 2015 and Mr Wightman died two days later from his injuries.

Last month father of-five Armstrong, of Grays Park, Ballylenaghan Upper, Belfast, was handed down a life sentence by Mr Justice Treacy.

At that hearing, the prosecution had described the deaths of the deceased as “two very violent and brutal killings.”