Ian Ogle death: Murder trial shown CCTV of attack on victim

  • Published
Ian OgleImage source, Pacemaker
Image caption,

Ian Ogle was beaten and stabbed to death near his home in east Belfast in 2019

A murder trial has been shown CCTV footage that allegedly shows the victim being kicked and stamped on shortly before his death.

Ian Ogle died after he was beaten and stabbed 11 times near his home in Cluan Place, east Belfast, in January 2019.

Three men have gone on trial, accused of the 45-year-old's murder.

Glenn Rainey, from Ballyhalbert Caravan Park; Alan Ervine of Litchfield Street, Belfast; and Robert Spiers, from Millars Park in Dundonald, deny murder.

Pastor shouted at attackers to stop

The opening day of the trial was told that a local pastor, Kevin Senbrook, was praying with the victim on a street close to his home when five men approached on the night of the fatal attack.

The prosecution said that Pastor Senbrook described seeing the group attack Mr Ogle "like a pack of hyenas".

The court heard that the pastor had described at least one bat or baton striking the victim multiple times and, while Mr Ogle was on the ground, his head was stamped on repeatedly by one of the men.

Both the pastor and another man who was present shouted at the attackers to stop and eventually they did, according to the prosecution.

The court was also shown footage from a police CCTV camera at Cluan Place.

The prosecution said it captured Mr Ogle being kicked and stamped upon during the attack, which lasted about 30 seconds.

Additional CCTV footage was also shown to the court, from a nearby Glider bus stop.

The prosecution alleged it captured the five men on the Albertbridge Road after the attack, with Alan Ervine running and carrying a long brass-coloured implement.

It was also alleged that Robert Spiers was also running and carrying a long, dark implement which may have been a knife.

Murder linked to two previous incidents

The court was told that the catalyst for the attack on Mr Ogle was an assault that had taken place more than 30 minutes earlier on the nearby Beersbridge Road,

It was alleged that the victim and his son, Ryan Johnston, had attacked Neil Ogle, a cousin of the murder victim.

The Beersbridge Road assault on Neil Ogle was said to be a reprisal for an incident over a year earlier in the Prince Albert Bar in east Belfast.

During the bar incident, Neil Ogle had allegedly failed to intervene on the side of his family during an altercation involving Ian Ogle and his son Ryan on one side, and Glenn Rainey, Alan Ervine and Jonathan Brown on the other side.

Jonathan Brown, 38, from Whinney Hill in Dundonald and Mark Sewell, 45, of Glenmount Drive in Newtownabbey have already pleaded guilty to Mr Ogle's murder.

The trial of Mr Rainey, Mr Ervine and Mr Spiers continues.

Related topics