Man appears in court charged with murdering former teacher

By Nevin Farrell

A 33-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing in court on Wednesday accused of murdering retired maths teacher Robert Flowerday.

Mr Flowerday’s body was found in Crumlin, County Antrim, at the weekend.

Michael Gerard Owens of Lisburn Road, Glenavy, County Antrim, is charged with murdering the 64-year-old on Sunday January 28 this year.

The defendant, whose address is around three and a half miles from Crumlin, also faces a second charge of burglary at Mr Flowerday’s address at Mill Road, Crumlin, on December 6 last year when he was accused of stealing £100 cash.

The accused appeared in the dock wearing handcuffs and dressed in grey tracksuit bottoms and a grey top.

A police officer told Ballymena Magistrates Court she believed he could connect the accused to the charges.

The defendant said he understood the charges.

A prosecutor asked for the defendant to be remanded in custody.

A defence lawyer said he had “no contrary submissions” and did not apply for bail.

District Judge Peter King remanded the accused in custody to appear at Antrim

Magistrates Court via video link on February 27.

Mr Flowerday (64), who previously worked at Antrim Grammar School, was a highly respected member of the Crumlin community.

He was a keen cyclist and was last seen on his bicycle travelling to his Mill Road home after attending a service at Dundrod Presbyterian Church on Sunday.

Antrim Grammar School principal Jenny Lendrum said: “Mr Flowerday was a teacher in Antrim Grammar School from 1978 to 2004 and during that time he touched so many lives in his role as teacher, colleague and friend.”

On Tuesday night hundreds of people turned out in Crumlin for a vigil in memory of Mr Flowerday had recently been a tutor.

He was described by local people as a “true gentleman”.