Police believe motive behind fatal beating not sectarian

DETECTIVES investigating the murder of a man in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, late on Sunday night are believed to be following a number of lines of inquiry.

Mr George Scott (31) died after three masked men beat him with baseball bats after gaining entry to his flat at Killymoon Road, a mainly Protestant area of Cookstown.

The murder is not believed to be sectarian.

Although baseball hats are often used in so called punishment beatings, police are investigating the possibility that the attack on Mr Scott was not paramilitary.

There are reports that Mr Scott had recently been involved in a fight. He was known to police, had convictions for assault and robbery and had served time in prison. Mr Scott was separated from his wife and had a child.

Mr Scott's 20 year old girlfriend, who was in his flat at the time, suffered severe shock although she was not physically injured during the incident.

Mr Scott is believed to have tried to escape his attackers by running into the bedroom. His girlfriend was forced to stay in the kitchen.

Police in Cookstown have appealed to anyone with information to come forward. A black, standard sized, American baseball bat was used in the attack and police believe it may have been discarded after the murder.

The sub divisional commander for the area, Mr David Pickering, described Mr Scott as a "well known personality in Cookstown. He had a lot of friends, a lot of people that he went about with".

He said in a BBC interview that the attack was "vicious and brutal" and could not be justified under any circumstances.

Shocked neighbours described Mr Scott and his girlfriend as quiet and polite.

The DUP MP for the area, the Rev William McCrea and the local SDLP councillor, Mr Denis Haughey, condemned the attack. Mr McCrea described the murder as barbaric".

"We can't have the law of the jungle. Every rightthinking person must vigorously oppose such kinds of activity.

He said the British government had "closed its eyes" to punishment beatings. Any government which allowed this to happen was "weak and spineless".

The security forces "must be allowed to take effective measures to bring such beatings to an end", he added.