Two due in Lisburn court on arms charge

Two men will appear before magistrates in Lisburn this morning on charges of possessing arms and explosives with intent to endanger…

Two men will appear before magistrates in Lisburn this morning on charges of possessing arms and explosives with intent to endanger life.

The men, aged 22 and 25, were charged last night after police recovered a weapons and explosives haul during a search in Co Antrim.

They men were originally arrested in connection with the murder of Catholic man James McMahon in Lisburn last month. However, the weapons haul, which included six sub-machine guns, 2,000 rounds of ammunition and three improvised pipe bombs, was recovered following searches in the Hillhall Park area of the city.

Residents were evacuated from a number of homes in the area while army bomb disposal experts were called to examine the scene last night.

READ MORE

Two other men being questioned in connection with Mr McMahon's murder have been released without charge, a police spokeswoman said.

Mr McMahon (21) died in hospital after he was beaten by three men armed with baseball bats in Lisburn on November 20th.

Mr McMahon  suffered serious head injuries during the assault at Hancock Street in the city centre; he was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where he died the following day.