ones responsible for it, but they couldn't determine who had struck the fatal blow," Mr Freeburn says.

"But they were found with Edward's bike, there was blood on their overcoats. They couldn't decide who did it, so they charged the two of them together."

Murder of Henry Coogan, Belfast

Wiley Harris Jr was the first US soldier to be sentenced to death for a murder carried out in Northern Ireland during World War Two - a sentence that provoked protests and pleas for a stay of execution.

Harris was in a Belfast city centre pub, before relocating to an air raid shelter with a local prostitute.

Henry Coogan, described in newspaper reports of the time as a dockworker, but in reality believed to have been a pimp, said he would keep watch duringthe tryst.

However, after a short time he interrupted Harris and the woman, falsely claiming police had arrived.

Image copyright NI WAR MEMORIAL Image caption An American military band performs in NI

A fight ensued, before Harris stabbed the Belfast man 17 times with a switchblade.

Harris was court martialled and sentenced to be hanged.

"There were protests," Mr Freeburn says.

"The Marquess of Salisbury, leader of the House of Lords at the time, telegrammed President Roosevelt saying that 99% of the population were indignant at the verdict and asked that the sentence be postponed to cement the Anglo-American friendship.

"The leaders of the local Catholic, Presbyterian and Methodist churches made a joint appeal the night before the execution to stay the execution."

However, the protests were to no avail - Pte Harris was executed on