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Belfasttelegraph

News [1]
Opinion [2]
Business [3]
Sport [4]
Life [5]
Entertainment [7]
Travel [8]
Sunday Life [9]

Menu Sections

Teachers and pupils of Coolanarney national school in Tullamore who held a guard of honour as the funeral cortege of Ashling Murphy passed her former school in Offaly. Photo: Mark Condren

Republic of Ireland

Ashling Murphy funeral: Boyfriend says schoolteacher ‘was my soulmate, is my soulmate, will always be my soulmate’

Ashling Murphy’s boyfriend has described her as his “soulmate” and “the greatest love of my life” in a heartbreaking tribute as the schoolteacher was laid to rest.

Latest News

Brian Smith at court today

Northern Ireland Premium

Man found guilty of threatening to kill Jamie Bryson

Photo: Stock image/Depositphotos

Coronavirus

Northern Ireland should follow Scotland and ‘spell out’ end of Covid restrictions, say local retail bodies

Ashling Murphy who was killed while jogging along a canal bank in Tullamore pictured on her Graduation Day. Photo by Steve Humphreys

Republic of Ireland

breaking Man arrested in relation to Ashling Murphy murder investigation

Alan Harte. Photo: Padraig O'Reilly.

Northern Ireland

Alan Harte named as ringleader of kidnapping of Kevin Lunney

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Audrey Wales

Northern Ireland

DUP councillor Audrey Wales’ spend on clothes during year as mayor causes further controversy

A DUP councillor's spend on clothes during her year as mayor has caused further controversy at a council meeting.

Reavey Brothers Film

Northern Ireland Premium

Horrific murder of Reavey brothers ‘is story I was born to tell’: NI director on making a movie about death of his three uncles in 1976

Photo: Stock image/Depositphotos

Coronavirus

Northern Ireland should follow Scotland and ‘spell out’ end of Covid restrictions, say local retail bodies

Teachers and Pupil's of Coolanarney national school in Tullamore who held a guard of honour as the funeral cortege of Ashling Murphy passed her former school.
Pic:Mark Condren
18.1.2022

In Pictures

In pictures: Ireland stops for the funeral of Ashling Murphy

Headlines

Freight in east Belfast (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Northern Ireland

East Belfast restaurant complains of ‘anti social behaviour’ following multiple cases of smashed windows

Northern Ireland deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill (PA)

Northern Ireland

O’Neill writes to Government calling for ditching of ‘double jobbing’ plan

BBC Broadcasting House in London. Pic: Ian West/PA Wire.

Northern Ireland

How will the BBC licence fee freeze affect you?

Leesa Harker

Theatre and Arts Premium

A Grand farewell… Maggie’s Feg Run coming back for one final outing at the Opera House

An example of the scam Credit: PSNI

Northern Ireland

PSNI scam alert: Rise in fake messages targeting elderly – top tips for protecting your family

Cara Hunter who completed her charity swim at Portrush Harbour

Northern Ireland

Good cause: MLA Cara finishes her swimathon for Women’s Aid

Stock image.

Courts Premium

Belfast man allegedly raped ex-partner and jumped on her stomach after being told she may be pregnant, court hears

Boxes of NHS Covid-19 rapid antigen test (lateral flow self test) kits: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Northern Ireland

Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Six deaths and 4,081 new cases

Some schools could be at the risk of closure due to pupil numbers

Education

Plan to streamline education in NI could see 300 schools at risk

Gerry Campbell, Chief Executive CCMS (Council for Catholic Maintained Schools).

Education

UUP leader’s ‘educational apartheid’ comments ‘inflammatory and unhelpful’

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Health & Wellbeing Premium

Breast cancer survivor: ‘All you want is the cancer to go away, you want it gone’

The retired teacher and mum-of-two had had a routine mammogram nine months prior to her breast cancer diagnosis in 2019 and everything was clear.

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Business

Larne port

Northern Ireland Premium

Freight traffic rises at NI ports as Irish truckers find rules easier

Sinn Fein MLA Caoimhe Archibald. Credit: Stephen Hamilton

Northern Ireland Premium

exclusive Invest NI facing external review of its operations

Michael Deane

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland restaurants ‘on a cliff edge’ as running costs soar, warns top chef Michael Deane

Tough: Construction companies are working in difficult conditions

Northern Ireland Premium

Building companies ‘at risk’ in Northern Ireland due to a shortage of materials

Some banks are charging £180 for the "unarranged borrowing" of £100, a difference of £156 compared with a payday loan costing a maximum £24

Northern Ireland Premium

John Simpson Opinion How we can improve our poorer living standards in Northern Ireland

Paul McElvaney is Learning Pool’s founder and executive chairman

Northern Ireland Premium

Paul McElvaney of Learning Pool, the Derry firm that’s making deals with global giants

Opinion & Analysis

Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong

Malachi O'Doherty Premium

Malachi O’Doherty Opinion There’s no longer any justification for segregating pupils

I don’t imagine any government will abolish the Catholic education system. When Doug Beattie asserts the need for a single education system in Northern Ireland, that is what is implied, that Churches would not be free to run their own systems in competition with the state.

Lisa Smyth

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Lisa Smyth

Suzanne Breen

Donaldson’s latest move could prove to be his undoing

Suzanne Breen

Allison Morris

The issue of male violence must be addressed in school

Allison Morris

Mike Nesbitt

DUP is once again bending the democratic rules to the limit

Mike Nesbitt

Sport

Liam Hughes

Liverpool Premium

Liam Hughes: I’m right on track to fulfil my dream at Liverpool

Northern Ireland Under-21 star Liam Hughes has outlined his dream to play first team football for Liverpool in the future and hailed the backing of senior international goalkeeping coach Roy Carroll.

Sign of times: Liam Hughes has signed a new contract at Liverpool but is currently out on loan at Stalybridge Celtic to get first-team football

Football Premium

Dream comes true for Liverpool fan Liam Hughes after signing new contract at Anfield and training with top keeper Alisson

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Ulster

Huge blow to Ulster as Jacob Stockdale’s season ended by surgery

Jay Donnelly celebrates his winning goal for Glentoran against former club Cliftonville

Irish League

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Ulster Premium

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Warrenpoint manager Barry Gray

Warrenpoint Town

Cup Final not the priority but win will be a big boost, says Warrenpoint boss Barry Gray

Live: Covid data updates for Northern Ireland

Coronavirus

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Coronavirus

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Coronavirus

Death toll and confirmed new cases

Coronavirus

A year like no other... Life in the grip of Covid in NI

Videos of the day

Large crowds gather for Ashling Murphy funeral

PACEMAKER PRESS BELFAST 18/01/2021 (Copy Paul Higgins)
Brian Smith appeared at Newtonards court on Tuesday.

A north Belfast was today (Tues) convicted of threatening to kill loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson.

Following a brief contest at Newtownards Magistrates Court, 30-year-old Brian Smith was also convicted of harassing Mr Bryson and making a threat that he would petrol bomb the homes of the victims mother and partner, all committed between July 10-23 last year.

Giving evidence to the court, the loyalist blogger told a prosecuting lawyer the messages, all sent through Facebook, “caused me serious distress and fear,” adding that given their “deeply threatening characteristics, that put me in fear of my life.”

With the messages threatening that Mr Bryson “will be alongside Willie Frazer” who died in June 2019 and making “references to organisations,” the victim told District Judge Mark Hamill “I believe that the defendant meant to carry out the threats.”

He also told the Judhe that threats against his family and referencing the areas where he resides only served to increase that fear.

“That puts my child in danger and that is distressing to me and my wider family,” said Mr Bryson.

Defence counsel for Smith had earlier entered a guilty plea to the harassment charge and he sought to argue that it was “an umbrella charge” which encompassed all of Smith’s actions.

“There’s no dispute the messages were sent and they should never have been sent,” conceded the lawyer who suggested that the two counts of making specific threats “can be encompassed on a full facts basis within that charge.”

Convicting Smith on all three counts however, DJ Hamill told him: “if I tell you I’m going to kill you but also burn your mothers house and burn your girlfriends house, it doesn’t come under the one umbrella, it’s three separate offences - that is crystal clear.”

Smith, from the Cliftonville Road in north Belfast, was freed on bail

Man found guilty of threats to kill Jamie Bryson

Boris Johnson denies lying about parties to Parliament after Cummings’ claim

Powerful moment Michelle O'Neill reads list of names of 23 murdered women

DUP leader denies deal with Government to bring back double-jobbing

Sunday Life

The South East Antrim UDA is based in Rathcoole

News Premium

Gallery Veteran loyalist ‘Flagman’ given 24 hours to leave Rathcoole estate after UDA gang purge

Premium

Gallery Westminster ‘spy’ fought Belfast schoolgirl bullies using kung fu

Premium

Gallery exclusive Massacre victims’ families to sue PSNI over claims Greysteel killer was on payroll

Premium

Gallery New IRA chief facing mutiny as rivals bid to oust him as leader

Gallery Shamed dentist appeals sex assault convictions

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