Two people have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Co Down in the early hours of St Stephen's Day.
Mark Dorrian, 50, was found in a block of flats in Newtownards on Thursday having sustained a number of injuries, including to the head. He was taken to hospital but died a short time later.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of murder.
Two of them have been charged with his murder. Claire Rees, 33, of no fixed abode, and Carl Kerr, 36, from Corry Street in Newtownards appeared at Downpatrick Magistrates’ court.
The accused spoke in court only to confirm their names, dates of birth and that they understood the charges against them.
A PSNI detective sergeant told the court he could connect both to the charges. The court heard an emergency cord was pulled in the flat after Mr Dorrian was attacked, which activated an audio recording of around 50 minutes.
No application for bail was made. Both defendants were remanded in custody to appear in court again next month.
The third person arrested, a 58-year-old woman, has been released unconditionally.
