Detectives have released CCTV footage of the final hours before 68 year-old Michael Kerr was murdered last week.

The widower was discovered dead inside his home on Birch Drive, Bangor on Tuesday 19 November.

Police are working to establish a motive for the attack and said they believe the answers to his death lie within the local community.

A creature of habit, Michael, who was known locally as Mike, can be seen going about his routine on Saturday 16 November.



As normal, he left home at around 9.15am to do his shopping and returned home an hour later. The CCTV shows Mike walking along Birch Drive where he got the bus into Bangor Town Centre.

He then headed into a newsagents, as one of his pleasures in life was completing the crossword in the Times newspaper every day.

The footage then shows Mike visiting a supermarket to buy provisions for the weekend, as his daily routine involved buying what he needed for the day ahead, and on Saturdays he would buy enough food for the Sunday also.

The meal he bought for that Sunday remains uneaten.

With this in mind, plus the fact that a neighbour saw him on Sunday afternoon, police now believe Mike was killed sometime between 2pm on Sunday and 9.15 am on Monday morning when he failed to leave the house according to his normal routine.

Detective Chief Inspector Michelle Shaw, who is leading the murder investigation said: "I would like to hear from anyone who saw Mike in Bangor town centre on Saturday or at any stage after that.

"My investigation is still at an early stage but I believe the attack happened at his home in Birch Drive, off the Rathgael Road. I am working to establish how many people attacked Mike and whether he knew his killers. I am also still considering the two hypotheses - that he was attacked because he disturbed intruders in his home or because of a personal vendetta.

"Mike was a defenceless man and he was subjected to a vicious and sustained attack receiving multiple blows to his head and body, and I believe that whoever killed him will have bloodstained clothes."

Detectives are working to establish what murder weapons were used during the brutal attack. Anyone who found any discarded or suspicious objects in the Birch Drive and surrounding areas are urged to get in touch.

DCI Shaw continued: "Mike, who was very private, was a defenceless man and was subjected to a vicious and sustained attack receiving multiple blows to his head and body. There were no signs of defensive injuries and no signs of a struggle.

"He was a widower having lost his wife around 15 years ago. Our thoughts remain with his brother, sister, niece and nephew who continue to try and come to terms with his needless murder.

"I still believe that answers to Mike's murder lie within the community and I am appealing for the public's help in identifying those responsible for this vicious attack."

Anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, can contact detectives in Bangor using non-emergency line 101. Details can also be provided in confidence via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.



(JG/CM)