SAOIRSE32

Belfast Telegraph

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

The family of the 21-year-old man beaten to death in Co Monaghan last month has launched a campaign to bring those responsible to justice.

Paul Quinn died after being savagely beaten in a paramilitary-style punishment attack near Oram on October 20th.

His family say the attack was carried out by members of the Provisional IRA based in south Armagh.

This has been backed up by the Independent Monitoring Commission, while an Ulster Unionist politician has claimed the beating was sanctioned by prominent republicans.

Sinn Fein, however, has denied that republicans were involved and claims the killing was related to a dispute between criminals.

The Quinn family wants Sinn Fein to withdraw this allegation or provide any evidence they have to back it up.

They are also seeking meetings with the PSNI chief constable, the Garda Commissioner, the Minister for Justice, the Taoiseach, church leaders and the North’s First and Deputy First Ministers the Taoiseach and church leaders.

Belfast Telegraph

By Victoria O’Hara
14, November 2007

An inquest into the murder of Catholic teenager Gerard Lawlor was dramatically halted after the High Court ordered a temporary suspension following family claims of collusion.

Mr Lawlor (19) was making his way home from the Bellevue Arms to the Whitewell area of north Belfast when he was shot dead on July 21, 2002.

The UFF and Red Hand Defenders both claimed responsibility for the murder at the time.

During an extensive police investigation, two men were arrested but released due to lack of evidence.

However, the Lawlor family has issued a complaint to the Police Ombudsman, believing collusion was involved.

They want the inquest to be held after the full report by the Police Ombudsman into the murder is published.

Speaking outside the court on behalf of the family, solicitor Niall Murphy said the Lawlor family have concerns in relation to the suspects and subsequently have an interim relief order which was granted by Mr Justice Stevens today.

Before the inquest was halted Detective Inspector Steven Clark, a senior investigating officer into the case who is now retired, said the motive for the murder was “simple sectarian bigotry”.

He said the shooting was carried out for revenge for a previous attack on a Protestant man just hours before.

Evidence was given that on the night of the murder a scooter carrying two people was spotted in the area.

DI Clark said he believed that these men were directly involved in the murder.

He said that both men who had been arrested and questioned by police were linked to loyalism.

However, the two suspects were released due to a lack of evidence.

Witness Mark O’Kane said he was driving home from the cinema when he and his girlfriend saw Mr Lawlor lying face down on Floral Road.

He also said he had passed a moped which was on the wrong side of the road on the night of the murder.

Mr O’Kane said he stopped the car and ran over to see if Mr Lawlor was okay.

“I lifted his head and he was still breathing,” he said.

He added that when he lifted his head it was covered in blood and he phoned the police and ambulance.

“I lifted his head again and saw his face covered in blood but I found a pulse in his neck. His eyes were rolling back.”

Mr O’Kane said a taxi then pulled up and a man he knew, Eddie Giles, got out and ran over to help.

Mr Giles, who also gave evidence, gently pulled up Mr Lawlor’s top and saw a wound in the middle of his back.

A pathologist’s report said that Mr Lawlor had been shot four times.

One bullet had passed his lungs and pierced his heart, the second had entered his chest and went into his spinal cord.

He was also struck in both legs.

Coroner John Leckey adjourned the inquest, adding that he would give no verdict today.

Belfast Telegraph

By Deborah McAleese
Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde today said he will “pursue to the end of the earth” those responsible for the shooting of an off-duty police officer in Dungannon.

The officer, named locally as Paul Musgrave, had just left work when he was shot a number of times in an arm as he sat in his car at traffic lights at 5.30pm yesterday.

He managed to drive back to Dungannon Police Station and was taken to Craigavon Area Hospital where he is in a stable condition.

A man and a woman were arrested today in connection with the attack, which is the second shooting of a police officer in five days.

The Real IRA shot 43-year-old Jim Doherty, a Catholic police officer, in Derry last Thursday as he dropped his child off at school.

Mr Doherty suffered injuries to his face and arm and is still being treated in hospital.

Sir Orde said the shootings were “extremely sinister”.

“This has taken cowardice to new levels. The important point is this will not deter police officers going about their day to day duty. We will carry on despite of the threat. If they wish to continue this we will pursue them to the end of the earth,” he told the BBC.

Secretary of State Shaun Woodward described yesterday’s attack as ” despicable and cowardly”, while Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness said those responsible had no popular support and urged anyone with information to contact police.

The Deputy First Minister said: “These people have no popular support and no strategy to achieve a united Ireland.

“These people are attempting to plunge our society back into conflict. I am confident the vast majority of people here will ensure that this does not happen.”

DUP South Antrim MP William McCrea said there was an orchestrated intimidation campaign against police officers in Northern Ireland and called on the PSNI to “crush these dissident groups”.

“There must be no let-up in the campaign against dissident republicans,” he said.

Mr McCrea added: “All parties across Northern Ireland and the Government must pledge their support to the police in the fight against these groups.

“They must be shut down and put out of business once and for all. I intend to raise this matter at Westminster and will be urging the Government to act accordingly.

“We won’t allow a blind eye to be turned to these acts.”

The DUP’s Lord Morrow said he believed the attack was timed to coincide with Sinn Fein nominating DPP members at Dungannon Council last night.

“I am absolutely horrified and I am absolutely sickened,” he said.

“It is time the Government got the gloves off and allowed the PSNI to crush this dissident faction of republicans that are intent on causing maximum damage.”

It is understood that police officers in certain areas have been briefed about threats against them from dissident republicans, with some officers having to move house because of the threat.

Belfast Telegraph

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

‘Dissident’ republicans last night threatened new attacks on Northern Ireland police officers.

The previously unknown Irish Republican Liberation Army claimed last night that it shot an officer who was ambushed in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.

A man and woman have been arrested and questioned about the shooting, the second of its type in five days. Last week an off-duty officer was shot outside his son’s school in Londonderry.

A statement by the IRLA said: “There is now a central command within our organisation. More shootings will follow. We again reiterate our threat to Sinn Feiners in north Belfast. We again demand they resign from local DPPs’ boards.”

The injured policeman, Paul Musgrave, was shot in the shoulder. He is said to be in a stable condition.

He had just left work on Monday when his vehicle, believed to be a 4x4, was targeted close to a Catholic church in the town.

Mr Musgrave, who is in his 30s, was able to drive to safety in the nearby Dungannon police station and was then taken by ambulance to Craigavon Area Hospital.

Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said his officers will not be deterred from carrying out their duties. Those behind the attack had taken cowardice to new levels, he claimed.

Sir Hugh said: “This will not deter police officers going about their day-to-day duties of protecting communities in Northern Ireland. “We will continue to carry out our duties as fairly and properly as we can.

“It makes it all the more impressive, what has been achieved by the PSNI over the last five years.

“They have pushed edges continually.

“If a small number of disenfranchised people, who have been clearly rejected by their community as stated by every political leader wish to continue, we will pursue them to the ends of the earth.”

Belfast Telegraph

By Sam Lister
14, November 2007

Lord Dubs has called on the Government to drop plans to build a peace wall through the playground of a Belfast primary school.

The former Northern minister warned that the proposal to put up a 25ft security fence at Hazelwood, in the north of the city, showed there was ” no confidence” in the current political situation.

Although there has been no trouble at the site over the last year officials intend to go ahead with the contentious proposal after security assessments by the PSNI.

During a debate in Westminster Lord Dubs said he was “disappointed” by the decision.

He told the Lords: “That assessment was made a long time ago. I am assured that there has been no trouble in the area for a year. Is there not a case for looking at it again?

“I have the utmost respect for the Police Service of Northern Ireland, but if things have settled down in the area, surely there is a case for saying, ‘Do we really need this?’.”

Other peers raised concerns about the decision - sanctioned by Security Minister Paul Goggins - was sending out and claimed there must be a ” better way” to deal with community tensions.

But Lord Rooker insisted the fence was needed to protect families living nearby from the threat of firebombing.

He said: “The decision to erect a security fence at the perimeter of Hazelwood integrated primary school was taken on the basis of a security assessment by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and in consultation with local residents and the school.

“While we do not propose to reconsider the decision at this time, this security measure will be subject to review, which will include input from the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.

“My noble friend accepts that it is not a wall. It is at the perimeter of the school, in fact it is at the edge of the staff car park. It is simply designed to stop people entering the school and firebombing the new houses nearby, which is what they were doing.

“That is why the residents demanded some action. It has taken a while to get to the point that we are at now, and the assessment was that there should be a fence.

“The situation is that some nearby houses, which were new, private sector, mixed community houses, were arson-attacked in 2005 and again in 2006.

“These are the homes of young families. Rightly, the residents said that the school fence was giving easy access to those who were firebombing the houses and that something had to be done.”

International Herald Tribune

The Associated Press
Tuesday, November 13, 2007

DUBLIN, Ireland: A suspected Irish Republican Army ‘dissident’ was charged Tuesday with murdering an ex-colleague and trying to kill another in a Belfast feud earlier this year.

Gerard Mackin, 25, offered no plea as he was arraigned in a Dublin court on charges of murdering Edward Burns and attempting to murder Damien O’Neill in March in Belfast.

Judge Cormac Dunne ordered Mackin held without bail pending his next court appearance Tuesday. Relatives and friends of the victims shouted words of abuse at Mackin as guards led him away in handcuffs.

Mackin’s lawyer, Conway O’Hara, said they had not decided yet whether to request that the case be heard in the British territory of Northern Ireland, where the bloodshed took place, rather than the Republic of Ireland, where Mackin was arrested Monday.

He was the first person to be charged in connection with this year’s only paramilitary killings in Northern Ireland — when, according to police, a splinter group called the Continuity IRA killed two of its members and wounded a third who were accused of trying to form their own gang.

Police found Burns, 36, dumped in a parking lot in Catholic west Belfast with fatal gunshot wounds to his head.

The same night they found another suspected Continuity IRA member, 38-year-old Joseph Jones, dumped in a Catholic enclave of north Belfast near Burns’ home. Jones’ face had been battered beyond recognition with a shovel. Police have not charged anybody in connection with the Jones killing.

O’Neill, who was shot several times but survived, later told police that the Continuity IRA had lured all three of them into a car, then tortured them in a bid to force confessions.

Police in both parts of Ireland have arrested a dozen people since Sunday on suspicion of involvement in the Belfast attacks. While Mackin was charged, the 11 others were released without charge Monday and Tuesday.

The Continuity IRA, founded in 1996, is one of several breakaway IRA factions that oppose the IRA’s 2005 decisions to renounce violence and disarm.

Sunday Life

‘Beyond Conflict’ top man in hiding after he admits to infiltrating Kirkham group on behalf of anti-terror cops

By Stephen breen
Sunday, November 11, 2007

This is the top UDA man who was last night in hiding after outing himself as a Special Branch agent.

Terrified Jon McDowell — Tommy Kirkham’s right-hand man in south east Antrim — broke his silence on the eve of Remembrance Sunday to make his shock admission.

The former soldier — code- named ‘Lee Michaels’ — has fled his Carrickfergus home over fears he will become the next “Denis Donaldson” — the ex-Provo who was shot dead at a remote cottage in Donegal after he admitted working as an informer.

In an extraordinary interview with the Sunday Life, the former Beyond Conflict spokesman tells how he:

–Saved two men from loyalist hit-squads.

–Tipped off cops about arms dumps, drugs caches, senior figures and loyalist fundraising efforts.

–Received cash during his three years as an informer.

–Was forced to join the UDA.

–Was suspected by Kirkham’s cronies of leaking sensitive stories.

Said the 28-year-old: “My life has been in turmoil for the last three years and I just couldn’t go on living in a world of constant fear. I had to get this off my chest. This has nothing to do with any- one but me.

“I admit I was also giving stories to the media, but I wasn’t the only one.

“I was being thrown to the wolves and it was better for me now to tell the real story.

“The main reason I started working for Special Branch was because the UDA gave me a vicious beating and forced me to join the organisation. They did this to hundreds of young men.

Squaddie: Jon McDowell during his time in the Army

“I was always looking over my shoulder because I was providing information to my handlers on a whole range of matters and individuals. Whatever I was picking up I was passing it on.

“I would meet my handlers at all sorts of secret locations. We were on first name terms, but I often wondered if they were telling me their real names.

“They were very profession- al and they weren’t like the old Special Branch. I was pleased to be making a differ- ence by serving my country in a different form.

“I may have sometimes passed on information that other people knew about to keep the heat off me, but I was still always looking over my shoulder.”

He added: “I admit that I received payments for infor- mation, but it was nowhere on the same scale as the cash given to people such as Mark Haddock.

“I’ve also no doubt that I wasn’t the only high-level in- former in south east Antrim in the last three years. The vast majority of them were at it.

“I stand over my decision to work for the Branch, but I’m no traitor. I was loyal to the crown by trying to get people off the streets who were only interested in crime and greed.

“I lost a lovely girl over the UDA and I just want to get back to being the person I was before I became involved in this murky world.

“I take great satisfaction from the fact I help saved lives and disrupted the activi- ties of people who had no in- terest in loyalism. I will now have to start a new chapter in my life.”

The ex-soldier, who served in Belfast and Germany, was beaten up by a UDA gang in 2001 after he was overheard in a social club questioning the terror group’s role in a peaceful society.

After spending a week in hospital, he was then ordered to attend a meeting where he was told he was being recruited into the paramilitary organisation.

But the self-confessed agent fled to England to join the Army, where he served for three years before returning to Northern Ireland to be with his girlfriend.

After spending a few months avoiding the UDA, the terror group eventually caught up with him, ordering him to re-join the organisation.

It was at this time the Co Antrim man claims he went to Newtownabbey police sta- tion to make a statement about the beating he had received three years earlier.

But during the meeting he was given the opportunity to work for Special Branch and after a month of briefings, his undercover work started on a full-time basis.