Shropshire soldier charged with murder
A man arrested in Shropshire over the murder of a man in Northern Ireland more than two years ago is a serving soldier, it emerged today.
The 22-year-old, from the 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, based at Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, was arrested in the north of the county on Monday by detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland serious crime branch.
They have now charged him with the murder of Lee Smyth, 32, and he was appearing at Newry Magistrates Court in Northern Ireland today.
Mr Smyth spent two years in hospital after being seriously assaulted in a lane beside a river in Armagh, on June 6, 2010. He never recovered and died in June this year.
A second 22-year-old man, who was arrested in Armagh on Monday, has also been charged with murder and was also appearing in court today.
Nick Pritchard, Army spokesman, confirmed a serving solider from the Royal Irish Regiment had been charged with murder.
A spokesman for PSNI said: "Detectives from the PSNI have charged two men aged 22 with murder. Both are due to appear at Newry Magistrates Court."
Richard Ewels, a spokesman for West Mercia Police, confirmed a 22-year-old man was arrested in north Shropshire on Monday and he was taken in custody to Northern Ireland.
