Donald Fraser-Rennie murder: PSNI welcomes prison sentences

Mr Fraser-Rennie, 33, was found dead inside a flat in the town in September 2020 after he suffered a vicious beating.

At Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday, Stephen Hunter, 32, of Lanntara, Ballymena, and Samuel Atcheson, 36, from Crebilly Road, Ballymena were sentenced to serve a minimum of 15 and 16 years in custody respectively, having previously pleaded guilty to murder.

Detective Inspector Claire McGarvey said Mr Fraser-Rennie was found lying on the floor covered in blood and later pronounced dead.

“CCTV footage shows all three men together in the early afternoon. Having purchased alcohol, they head in the direction of Atcheson’s flat. And it’s here that the vicious and sustained attack, carried out by the defendants, takes place.

“Footage captured from Hunter’s mobile, taken later that afternoon, shows parts of a distressingly violent beating. The video clip had been deleted before the defendant’s phone was seized, but was recovered thanks to colleagues in our Cyber Crime Unit,” she said.

DI McGarvey added: “Today, thanks to our dedicated team and working in partnership with our colleagues in the Public Prosecution Service, the defendants have been held accountable for their actions.

“Donald's family have lost their loved one. The life of a loving fiancé and father was taken in the most brutal and shocking of attacks, and there are no words that can ease their pain. Today my thoughts remain with them.”