04 May 2012

£10,000 Reward Offered Following Murder Of Coleraine Man

Independent charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information following the murder of a pensioner in Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

The incident occurred when an intruder broke into a bungalow in Glenmore Gardens, and assaulted 72-year-old Bertie Acheson, before threatening his wife and demanding she hand over money.

Mr Acheson died after suffering a severe heart attack as a result of his ordeal, while his 70-year-old wife, who has mobility restrictions, was left badly shaken and had approximately £375 stolen from her.

The man's death is being treated as murder and Crimestoppers is offering the reward of up to £10,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this crime.

The suspect is described as being approximately six feet tall, wearing a dark top with a collar and thick cuffs, grey jogging bottoms and a coat covering his waist.

Chairman of Crimestoppers' Northern Ireland committee, Paul Leighton, said: "This was a cowardly act carried out against two vulnerable people and has left a community badly shaken and extremely angry.

"The person who committed this crime should not be allowed to get away with it and must be brought to justice, so I am appealing for anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers anonymously. We don’t want to know who you are, only what you know."

(CD)