Two men appear in court charged over murder of Donald Fraser Rennie

Two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a 33-year-old man in Ballymena.

Samuel Hugh Atcheson, 33, of Crebilly Road, Ballymena, and Stephen Arthur Hunter, 29, with of Lantarra, Ballymena, were charged with the murder of Donald Fraser Rennie.

Police said Mr Rennie was found dead at a flat in the Crebilly Road area after being subjected to a vicious and sustained beating.

It is believed he died either late on Tuesday night or early on Wednesday morning.

They appeared via video link before Laganside Magistrates’ Court in Belfast on Saturday morning.

A detective constable told the court that police believe they can connect both men to the charges.

The court also heard that Hunter had been treated as a “vulnerable adult” and that there was an “urgent need” for a psychiatric assessment to be arranged for the accused.

A solicitor for one of the accused asked for a second autopsy report to be carried out on the deceased man.

No applications for bail were made.

Both men were remanded in custody to appear before the court by video link on October 29.