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Derry Journal
16 Jan 2008

Nuala O’Loan, in her first public address since retiring as the North’s Police Ombudsman, will deliver this year’s annual Bloody Sunday lecture.

The event - part of a series of events to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the Bogside massacre - will take place at the Calgach Centre on Friday, February 1 at 7.30 p.m.

Also included in a packed commemorative schedule is an event hosted by human rights group, the Pat Finucane Centre, at which families of victims of state violence will be given the opporutnity to interrogate and explore a proposal calling for an independent truth commission.

‘Judging Saville’, hosted by the Bloody Sunday Trust, will present the Trust’s view of what answers are required if the Saville Report “is to be regarded as fair and final.”

This year’s programme of events - entitled ‘Truth and Lies’ - kicks off on Monday, January 28 with the launch of the Bloody Sunday black ribbon at the Guildhall. It will conclude on Sunday, February 3, with an event at the AOH Hall, Foyle Street, at which Bishop Edward Daly, Fr Aidan Troy and Fr Gerry Reynolds will share their experiences of the conflict (7 p.m.)

Derry Journal
18 January 2008

Nobel Peace laureate John Hume is to be immortalised in a wall mural in Derry’s Bogside.
The former SDLP leader is to form the centrepiece of a new work by the city’s critically-acclaimed Bogside Artists.

Work on the mural is expected to begin in the Spring.

Tom Kelly, of the Bogside Artsists, says the new mural will be a “fitting tribute” to Mr. Hume. He also revealed that the idea was triggered by “public demand”.

“People are always asking us why we’ve never portrayed John Hume in any of our work along Rossville Street and, when you think about, given his stature, both locally and internationally, he is rather conspicuous by his absence.

“Therefore, we’ve decided to pay tribute to John Hume’s key role in our recent history by featuring him in a new mural which will form part of the People’s Gallery on Rossville Street.”

Mr. Kelly says the artists have held a number of meetings with Mr. Hume to discuss the project.

“He says he is very honoured, particularly given the worldwide recognition which the murals on Rossville Street receive.”

The artists say they are still working on a number of ideas for the new mural but hope to finalise a design in the coming months before commencing work in the Spring.

BBC
18 Jan 2008

A dissident repubican from Belfast has been jailed for nine years for extortion and arms offences.

Martin Overend, 37, admitted blackmail, having information which may be useful to terrorists and having explosives and guns with intent to endanger life.

Belfast Crown Court heard that shots were fired at the blackmail victim’s house and he was told there was a contract out on him.

Guns and explosives were later found at Overend’s Broadway Tower home.

They included an AK47 assault rifle, a sawn-off shotgun, two handguns, component parts for pipe bombs, explosive powder and a quantity of bullets.

A notebook with the details of six police officers and a soldier was also found.

The court was told the blackmail plot started in February 2005 when shots were fired at the victim’s home.

A few days after a second shooting incident in March 2005, he received a phonecall from a male caller telling him there was a £25,000 contract out on his head but that he “would have an opportunity to buy that contract out”.

On 16 March, the victim got another call demanding that he pay £50,000 in two days time along with threats made to him and his family both on the phone and by way of text message.

Police then got involved and arrested Overend after a payoff had taken place in the docks area of Belfast.

Officers found two mobile phones in his car, one of which had been the phone used to make the calls and various demands from the victim.

Surveillance officers had noticed that about 30 metres behind Overend, another car had been following him. They stopped it and found it was being driven by 36-year-old Thomas Crossan from Rodney Parade, Belfast.

He was given a two-year jail term suspended for five years after he pleaded guilty to assisting Overend in the extortion.

Prosecuting QC Stephen Fowler said the plot was “part and parcel of a paramilitary organisation, namely, the Continuity IRA”.

Handing down the jail terms, Judge Finnegan said the case was “as serious an offence as one could come across,” telling Overend he had been “caught as close to redhanded as makes no difference”.