A MAN who was hit and killed by a car is alleged to have stabbed a sex offender to death just minutes earlier.
Kieran Hamill, 37, had been walking along a main road when he was struck by a car and killed.
But police believe the man had killed a sex offender just minutes before that.
Christopher Mooney, 60, was found on his sofa covered in blood by his brother.
Mooney, who had a previous conviction for gross indecency, had suffered multiple stab wounds and was declared dead at the scene.
But, prior to finding the dead body, Mooney's brother had been yelled at and pushed out of the way by a man who was in the house.
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The man was said to have made reference to the killing, before taking off from the Broomfield property on foot.
It was then that Mooney's brother discovered the grisly scene.
Mooney's house had also been ransacked.
A short time later, Hamill was killed after he was struck by a car not too far away at Ballynacarry bridge.
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The man was said to be walking when he was hit. It’s not clear if he deliberately jumped in front of the vehicle.
The horror unfolded in the early hours of yesterday morning and the scene was still being examined by cops last night.
Police have said they believe Hamill stabbed and killed Mooney, before being killed himself.
Officers said they are keeping an “open mind” on the investigation and they are probing if Mooney’s past was linked to the attack.
The man, who had a conviction dating back to 2003 for gross indecency relating to the abuse of a young boy, had previously been targeted by criminals.
One local, who went to school with him, told The Sun: “When Mooney served time in prison for abusing the child there wasn’t too much said about it.
“After he was released from prison he was bundled into a van and attacked before returning to Blayney.
“He kept a very low profile and didn’t interact much with locals.
The house remains a crime scene and the examination of the scene continues.
“People are genuinely shocked that something as awful as this has happened.”
Post mortems on the two bodies are due to be undertaken today.
Police are said to be still investigating whether anybody else was in Mooney's home before Hamill, and if anybody else could have been involved in his murder.
Hamill had been due to appear in court on December 12 as he had been charged over an alleged affray in May at an address in Castleblaney.
He was also facing two charges relating to an incident last December in Dundalk, and was due in court for those in February next year.
The man had been charged with threatening to damage a woman’s property and with assaulting a woman.
A police spokesperson said last night: “Gardai continue to investigate all the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body of a man at a residential premises at Knockreagh Lower, Broomfield, Co Monaghan.
“The results of the post mortem will determine the course of the investigation.
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“The house remains a crime scene and the examination of the scene continues.
“Gardai are appealing for anyone who was in the Broomfield area between 5am and 6.45am, particularly anyone with mobile phone footage or dashcam footage to contact Castleblayney Garda station on 0429740668.”
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