McCord’s cousin beaten by gang
By Stephen Breen
11 June 2006
A relative of anti-UVF campaigner Raymond McCord has received a vicious beating by former pals of Special Branch spy Mark Haddock.
Sunday Life can reveal that Mr McCord’s cousin, Robert McCord, was attacked by an eight-man UVF gang from the Mount Vernon Estate last week.
The gang is believed to be under the control of convicted blackmailer Willie ‘Mr Muscles’ Young.
Robert McCord was attacked at a flat in the Rathcoole estate in Newtownabbey, where Raymond McCord, whose son, Raymond jnr, was murdered by a UVF gang in 1997, used to live.
Mr McCord, who is in his 50s, was:
–STRIPPED to the waist;
–BEATEN around the head, and;
–BURNT with cigarette lighters.
A senior loyalist source told Sunday Life that the gang, who were not masked, asked Mr McCord to tell them where his cousin was now living.
When he told the thugs he had “no idea”, he received the vicious beating.
The pair have not seen each other in almost 10 years.
Said the source: “McCord’s cousin was sitting with his pals in a flat when two carloads of men kicked the door in.
“They were from the Mount Vernon UVF and they singled out Raymond’s cousin and demanded to know if he knew where Raymond was living.
“When he replied he had no idea, they stripped him to the waist and then gave him an awful kicking and burnt him with cigarette lighters.
“The local (Rathcoole) UVF are not happy about this team coming into their area to attack a man who is known in the area as harmless and who has nothing to do with his cousin.”
Raymond McCord only learned of the attack when we contacted him last week.
He said: “I didn’t know anything about this, because I haven’t spoken to my cousin in about 10 years. My cousin has nothing to do with my campaign for justice for my son.
“I would urge him to name his attackers to the police. They should not be allowed to get away with this type of intimidation.
“If the UVF in Mount Vernon have a problem with me, then they should come to my door.”
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MP backs campaign for justice
Raymond McCord was last night backed in his campaign for justice by Ulster Unionist MP Lady Sylvia Hermon.
Mr McCord met the North Down MP at her home in Donaghadee yesterday.
After the two-hour meeting, Lady Sylvia offered her support for his calls for a full, independent judicial inquiry into his son’s murder.
The UUP’s decision to allow PUP chief David Ervine to join the party’s Assembly team was raised at the meeting.
Also discussed was the murder bid on Special Branch spy Mark Haddock, and his role in the Mount Vernon UVF.
Mr McCord described the meeting as “extremely positive”.
He said: “Lady Sylvia is a very honourable lady, something which is lacking in the UUP - especially from the leadership.
“I still feel (Sir) Reg Empey should resign because of his decision to welcome the leader of a party with links to a terrorist organisation into his Assembly team.
“I expect Lady Sylvia to say something positive on my son’s case next week and I plan to have more meetings with her over the coming months.
“We discussed a lot of issues.
“At the minute, I’m just pleased that a senior member of the UUP took the time to talk to me.
“I would now like a statement from the UUP and PUP that if my son’s killers are brought to justice they won’t be freed under the Good Friday Agreement because I have always been told the murder wasn’t sanctioned.”
Mr McCord also confirmed that he is to meet with other victims of violence over the coming weeks before the publication of Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan’s report into his son’s murder and the activities of the UVF in Mount Vernon.
Lady Sylvia was not available for comment on the meeting last night.
