LAST UPDATE | 26 Aug 2025

A MAN IN his 40s has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of an 84-year-old convicted sex offender in Co Down.

Sean Small was found dead outside a property in the Slievenabrock Avenue area of Newcastle, Down on Sunday night, after enduring what police described as a “brutal and sustained attack”.

The man was arrested earlier today and remains in police custody.

Police believe that Small was last seen five days before his body was found outside a property in his local town.

Small recently completed a three-year prison sentence for multiple sexual offences, including sexual activity with a child and sexual assault.

He was sentenced in 2022 to six years in prison, with half served under supervised licence conditions. Small was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have appealed for more information from neighbours around the death of Small. Detectives have also asked the public to question the behaviour of those around them.

Detective Chief Inspector Kerrie Foreman said that Small suffered “a brutal and sustained attack, and while our investigation is at a very early stage, detectives are working at pace to determine the circumstances around this murder.”

She would not comment on how Small died, or whether there was more than one person involved in the attack. She said a post-mortem examination is ongoing.

Asked if the victim’s criminal past was a potential line of inquiry, she said police were maintaining an open mind.

She added: “We are pursuing all possible lines of inquiry at this time.”

Foreman said she would not comment on any potential threats against the victim but did confirm there had been an incident of criminal damage at his address a number of weeks ago.

Foreman has asked the public to provide more information and said the local community is “shocked” over the incident.

Police are looking to speak to anyone who was in the area on 19 August, or the following days, or who may have witnessed anyone or anything they thought was suspicious or out of the ordinary. 

Foreman also asked the public to question those around them: “Has anyone you are close to acted strangely over the last few days or broken from their usual routine? I am asking anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant a detail may seem, to please contact us by calling 101.”

Crimestoppers, a confidential charity service for reporting crime, is offering a £22,000 reward for information which leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the murder of Mr Small. 

All photos and video footage from CCTV cameras, mobile phones or dashcams of the area or the wider Tullybrannigan and Bryansford Road areas are asked to share the footage with police online, at this link.

Additional reporting by PA