On The Run murderer William Sloan hunted by cops

EXCLUSIVE: A massive police hunt is underway for a convicted murderer who is unlawfully at large from jail.

‘Crazed’ Willam Sloan was given temporary release last week but failed to return to Maghaberry jail by Friday, November 21.

Prison chiefs have given police an up-to-date picture of the 51-year-old along with his distinguishing features.

Sloan is desecribed as 5ft 9in tall, of medium build, with brown eyes and hair.

He is said to have a number of scars to his body, including ones to his left ear, abdomen, appendix, and left cheek.

The convicted killer also sports a number of tattoos – one on his lower right arm of ‘MUM DAD Willy Sunset Angel Club Headstone with two flowers’.

On his upper right arm he has a tattoo of a ‘Red Hand Scroll ULSTER’ along with one on the back of his left hand which is described as ‘Cross G.F.C’.

He has another tattoo on his lower left arm of ‘Bird Scroll Willie Flower’ and a fourth one on his upper left arms of ‘3 Cards’.

The prison service has asked anyone who has information about his whereabouts to contact their local police station immediately.

In 2006, the Secretary of State revoked Sloan’s early release licence after he was convicted of arson, attempted criminal damage and breach of a non-molestation order.

Sloan was sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder in May 1989 of James Hamilton at his Harrow Street home off the Shankill Road in west Belfast.

Police said at the time they believed the 39-year-old victim had been assaulted with a hammer and also kicks and punches by up to three men who had broken into his home.

One of the co-accused later gave a statement to the police saying he had brought Sloan and another man to Hamilton’s house to “give him a digging’’.

The man told cops: “I want to tell you about my bit in Jimmy Hamilton’s death. Jimmy and I fell out over money that he said I owed him. On that Sunday I was drinking all day. I left a club in the Shankill around about tea-time.

“I was worried that Jimmy was going to get me a hiding so I decided to sort him out. I went to another part of town and met two mates I know. I told them my problem and asked them to come with me to Jimmy’s house and give me some backing in case he wasn’t on his own.

“I was going to give him a few digs in the mouth and get him to wise up. After I met these two mates we went over to Jimmy’s house, I think it was after tea about 8 or 9 o’clock.

“When we arrived we parked the car in a side street. We went up to the front door and I smashed the glass in it. I went into the hall way and I saw Jimmy, the next thing that happened this fella with us (Sloan) pushed me aside and pushed Jimmy into the front parlour.

“This fella knocked Jimmy to the ground and started kicking him. I heard Jimmy shouting but I don’t know what.

“This fella just went crazy and the other fella helped this madman carry out some of Jimmy’s gear I think a TV and stacking hi-fi.

“Before we left I remember Jimmy lying in the corner groaning in pain. After we left the house my mates left me off and I went home.

“I was only going to give Jimmy a digging I didn’t think it would have gone as far as it did. This is all I can say I don’t want to name the fellas with me.’’

A second co-accused told police that Sloan had dragged Mr Hamilton into a back room where he repeatedly beat him.

“I heard him (Hamilton) shouting ‘stop it, stop it’.’’

Sloan was later arrested for questioning but refused to talk to detectives or make a written statement.

The case against Sloan was sealed when his fingerprints were found in Mr Hamilton’s home – one on the right ear of a broken china ornamental cat and the other on the door frame inside the front downstairs room.