Lyra McKee: Two men charged in connection with murder investigation

Pair charged with riot and petrol bomb offences, police reveal

Two men have been charged with riot and petrol bomb offences as part of the investigation into the murder of journalist Lyra McKee.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said one of the men, 51, was also charged with arson of a hijacked vehicle, and the other, 38, with the arson and hijacking of a tipper truck.

Both men will appear at Londonderry Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.

Ms McKee was shot dead while reporting on the outbreak of violence in Derry last month. Dissident republican group the New IRA said its members carried out the killing.

Two teenagers aged 15 and 18 who had been arrested in connection with the investigation have been released without charge.

Of the charges announced Friday, PSNI said: “The charges relate to violent disorder in the Creggan area of Derry/Londonderry on Thursday 18 April as part of the investigation into the murder of Lyra McKee.”

Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said the arrests and charges followed a police searches at four houses in the city.

It comes after the sister of the murdered journalist appealed for her sibling’s killers to hand themselves in to police. Nichola Corner said it was a “terrible irony” that her sister’s killers have robbed themselves of the one person who would have tried to help them.

A new mural of Lyra McKee in Belfast's city centre (PA)

“She deserves justice and those people need to really think about handing themselves in. They need to do the right thing,” Ms Corner said.

“None of this will ever bring my sister back to my mum, to me, to my brothers, my sisters, or nieces and nephews,” she added. “And as far as I’m concerned, that is the least that these people can do. And anyone whose helping them or guarding them or protecting them, they need to do the right thing as well.”

The New IRA has said its members were responsible for the killing, offering an apology to Ms McKee’s family.

Earlier this week Ms McKee’s partner Sara Canning revealed she spoke to Theresa May at her partner’s funeral, and told the prime minister she had been “derelict in her duty to Northern Ireland” by saying abortion and gay marriage were a devolved matter.