Promising boxer murdered by his girlfriend's ex-husband while checking on a pizza delivery

A promising young boxer, who was a former welterweight world champion's son, was knifed to death by a jealous ex-husband as he checked on a pizza delivery outside his new girlfriend's house.

Eamonn Magee Jr, who was 22 at the time of his death, was murdered in the Twinbrook area of West Belfast two years ago by Turkish national Orhan Koca.

Magee Jr was the son of ex-WBU welterweight champion Eamonn 'Terminator' Magee who had competed from 1995-2007 and lost to Ricky 'The Hitman' Hatton in 2002.

Belfast Crown Court heard how Koca, 34, of no fixed abode, knifed Magee Jr six times in an "unprovoked" attack when Magee went outside girlfriend Courtney Ward's home early on 30 May 2015 to look for a delayed pizza delivery man, leaving blood splattered over children's toys.

It was stated that Koca laid in wait outside the address in the Summerhill Park area before stabbing his victim in the chest, abdomen and thighs, with two of the wounds believed to have been fatal.

Koca pleaded guilty to stabbing Magee Jr to death at a court hearing earlier this year with prosecutors saying the assailant was "motivated by jealousy and was very possessive of his wife… he was an aggressive man in that context".

The BBC reported that Koca turned to the Magee family and said: "I am sorry for your loss" after the latest hearing on Friday (5 May).

The court heard Koca was married to Ward for a number of years and they had three children together, although their relationship broke down in 2013.

Koca was effectively homeless after the split and often slept in the local bar where he worked.

It was stated by prosecutors that the heartbroken Koca had searched social media for evidence that she was seeing other men, confronting her on many occasions about her alleged new boyfriend.

Ward had formed a new relationship with Magee Jr after they met at a local gym and Koca told Ward that he would be "watching the house", according to Belfast Live.

The crown said that after the killing Koca returned to the bar and placed his blood-soaked jeans beside a cooler which were later recovered by police.

A defence barrister said Koca's eventual guilty plea was motivated by the recognition of the "undoubted and overwhelming tragedy he has visited on the family of Mr Magee".

Koca will be sentenced next week.