Police presence at loyalist funeral of George Gilmore

The funeral of loyalist George Gilmore took place in Carrick on Thursday afternoon amid a heavy police presence.
George 'Geordie' Gilmore funeral takes place in Carrickfergus amid a heavy police presence.

 Photo by Samuel Severn / Pacemaker PressGeorge 'Geordie' Gilmore funeral takes place in Carrickfergus amid a heavy police presence.

 Photo by Samuel Severn / Pacemaker Press
George 'Geordie' Gilmore funeral takes place in Carrickfergus amid a heavy police presence. Photo by Samuel Severn / Pacemaker Press

Mourners followed the coffin after a service at the Church of the Nazarene in the town.

Mr Gilmore was shot in the neck as he sat in a car in the Pinewood Avenue area of Carrick last Monday at around 2.15pm.

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The high-profile loyalist is believed to have been involved in a local feud in the town, posting a message taunting local loyalists on Facebook the day before he was shot.

The 44-year-old was rushed to hospital in a serious condition and put into intensive care but he later passed away, sparking a murder investigation into what police have described as a “ruthless killing in broad daylight”.

The gunman is thought to have made off on foot from the scene.

Two men – Brian Roy McLean, 35, from The Birches in Carrickfergus, and Samuel David McMaw, 28, from the Starbog Road in Kilwaughter – remain in custody accused of his murder.

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They appeared in Belfast Magistrate’s Court on Saturday also charged with the attempted murders of Stephen Boyd and Kelvin Graham and possessing a self-loading pistol and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

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