The family of murdered east Belfast man Ian Ogle say they were subjected to a “campaign of intimidation” following a fight in a local bar 18 months before his death.
During the second day of a non-jury trial at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Ogle's son gave evidence while statements made by his partner and daughter were read out.
Mr Justice McFarland also heard a statement by a pastor who was with Mr Ogle when he was beaten and stabbed close to his Cluan Place home on the evening of Sunday January 27th, 2019.
It's the Crown's case that Mr Ogle was attacked by a group of five men.
Jonathan Brown (38) from Whinney Hill in Dundonald and 45-year old Mark Sewell of Glenmount Drive in Newtownabbey pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Ogle earlier this month and were handed life sentences.
Glenn Rainey (37), whose address was given as Ballyhalbert Caravan Park, Walter Alan Ervine (42) from Litchfield Street in Belfast and 41-year old Robert Spiers from Millars Park in Dundonald have all denied the murder charge and are currently standing trial in Belfast.
Mr Ogle’s son Ryan Johnston was called to the witness stand on Wednesday and was asked about a violent incident in the Albert Bar in July 2017.
Mr Johnston said he and a friend had been socialising in the bar and that the fight broke out over a “dirty look.”
He said Rainey has been collecting money for a lock-in, that he tapped Rainey on the shoulder to let him know the DJ wanted to go home and that Rainey then told him ‘stop f*****g tapping me.’
Saying this “shocked” him, Mr Johnston he said was accused of “giving dirty looks” then attacked by Brown.
Ian Ogle was made aware of the fight and a short time later he arrived at the Albert Bar with his partner Vera.
Toni Johnston, who was socialising in east Belfast that night, also arrived at the bar.
When the prosecuting barrister asked Mr Johnston if “all hell broke loose” at that point, he said “yes”.
He confirmed bar stools, tables and bottles were all thrown in the fight and that he and his father were bottled and his sister Toni beaten up.
He was taken to the Ulster Hospital where he was treated for a head wound that required staples.
The witness also confirmed that his father's cousin Neil Ogle was in the bar, saw him being attacked but failed to intervene and help him.
Mr Johnston was also asked about his involvement in an attack upon Neil Ogle 18 months later - around an hour before his father’s murder.
He told the court that he, his mother, his father and his girlfriend had gone to his sister's for Sunday dinner and were driving home to Cluan Place when they spotted Neil Ogle walking along the Albertbridge Road.
Mr Johnston confirmed he got out of his girlfriend’s car and started fighting with Neil Ogle.
When asked if there had been "bad blood" since the fight in the Albert, Ryan said there had and that he never forgave Neil Ogle for not stepping in to help him.
He confirmed his father also got out of the car, told his cousin ‘you hurt my family’ and said to him ‘get into him son.’
Following this street fight, the father and son returned to Cluan Place.
Mr Johnston said he then went for a shower and following this, his friend called at his door and shouted ‘they’ve got your Daddy, they’ve got your Daddy.’
He said he ran out into the street and saw his father lying face-down on the side of the road at the entrance to Cluan Place.
The prosecutor asked about the street fight with Neil Ogle: “Do you believe if you hadn’t got out of the car to Neil, then that wouldn’t have happened to your Daddy?” to which he replied “yes.”