Renewed appeal in Green murder probe

Police have today renewed their appeal for information in connection with the murder of Michael Green who was shot dead in the Sandy Row area of South Belfast one-year ago today.

Mr. Green, 42, had just arrived for work at Gilpins furniture store at 8.15am when the incident happened.

As he was opening the gates to the rear yard of the premises, he was approached by a gunman who proceeded to shoot him at close range.

The gunman then made off on the back of a waiting motorcycle, which was parked at the junction between Boyne Court and Sandy Row.

The motorcycle was later found in an entry off the railway footbridge at the rear of houses at Abingdon Drive.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Raymond Ramsey, said it was a vicious and brutal murder of an innocent man during the loyalist feud, which had left a family devastated, and it was vital for society that those responsible were brought to justice.

DCI Ramsey said: "One year on, police remain totally committed to bringing the killers before the courts but we need the public's assistance to do this. Mr. Green was murdered in broad daylight on a busy street. There were a lot of people in the area at the time, and while the response from the public has been good, we know that there are still people out there who have information which could assist us with our inquiries."

In particular, detectives have appealed for the following people to come forward:

Anyone who has any information about the movements of the motorcycle, a small red 125CC Hartford, believed to have been used in the murder, in the days or hours prior to the murder.

Anyone who saw two men on the motorcycle leave the area after the shooting via Boyne Court into City Walk, abandoning the motorcycle at the railway footbridge at the rear of Abingdon Drive. The pillion passenger on the bike was not wearing a helmet.

Anyone who was in the Sandy Row area on the Monday morning of August 15 last year from 7.30am and saw a motorcyclist parked in the Scott Street area or who observed a man standing beside the hoarding at Wellwood Street prior to the murder.

Anyone who witnessed the murder of Mr. Green.

Detectives can be contacted directly at the Incident Room on 9070 0305 or anonymously on the Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

(EF)