Murder probe launched after death of Limavady man
23-year-old Darren McGurk passed away in hospital on Sunday morning - four days after an assault left him with serious head injuries.
Last updated 24th Mar 2019
A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a 23-year-old Limavady man.
Darren McGurk passed away in hospital this morning after an assualt on Wedensday night which left him with a serious head injury.
Police were called to a house in the Glenbeg Walk area of Limavady on Thursday afternoon - it's believed the assualt occured almst 24 hours prior to that.
Detective Chief Inspector Peter McKenna said: “First and foremost, I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to Darren’s family and loved ones who are struggling to come to terms with Darren’s untimely death.
“We received a report around 4:20pm on Thursday (21st March) that Darren had sustained a serious head injury following an assault at a house in the Glenbeg Walk area of the town the previous evening (Wednesday 20th March). We believe this assault occurred around 6pm on Wednesday.
“Darren was taken to hospital where he sadly passed away this morning.
“On Friday (22nd March) we arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with the assault and that man was subsequently charged with grievous bodily harm and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
“Following Darren’s death this morning, the same man was further arrested and charged with Darren’s murder."
The accused will appear before Coleraine Magistrates' court tomorrow.
DCI McKenna also wants to establish Darren's movements in the hours before the assualt on Wednesday and made a number of appeals to the public:
“Were you in touch with Darren, via text or on the phone? Did you see him that day? Was he with anyone? Were you in the Glenbeg Walk around the time of the assault? Did you hear or see anything that was out of the ordinary?
“I am also keen to speak to anyone who knows Darren and may have been trying to get in contact with him between 6pm on Wednesday (20th March) through to 4:20pm on Thursday (21st March). This includes any attempts to contact Darren by mobile phone or on social media.
“I want to establish an accurate picture of what occurred on Wednesday night so Darren’s family know exactly what happened to their loved one."