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A South Derry man was allegedly attacked with a large knife and stabbed to death in front of his partner in an unprovoked attack, a court was told.

Jason Tyrone Spence (33) from Millburn Street ,Cookstown, is charged with murdering Cornelius O'Neill at Kilrea on Tuesday, August 29.

A detective sergeant told Londonderry Magistrates Court he could connect the defendant to the charge.

A defence lawyer said the defendant has a history of paranoid schizophrenia and asked for an assessment to be carried out before making a bail application.

Cornelius O'Neill who died as a result of a stabbing at Kilrea on Tuesday. Credit: O'Neill family

Detectives name Kilrea stabbing victim as 56-year-old Cornelius O’Neill

The detective sergeant said the stabbing was witnessed by the victim’s partner who is the defendant’s mother.

He said police had CCTV evidence from properties close by and the defendant was later arrested in the Cookstown area, and was “unresponsive” during interview.

Describing it as a "very tragic incident", District Judge Barney McElholm ordered an assessment and remanded Spence in custody to appear by videolink at Magherafelt Magistrates Court on September 20.

Cookstown man accused of murdering Cornelius O’Neill in ‘unprovoked attack’