Monthly Archives: December 2018

One of Northern Ireland’s top police officers has accused the Ulster Defence Association – supposedly on ceasefire – of “being on a power trip” after its violent invasion of a County Antrim town. Up to 100 members of the UDA’s south-east Antrim brigade invaded an area of Larne, a port town on the east Antrim coast, and attacked homes and police officers. The incident on Sunday night, which involved houses being wrecked and police patrols coming under fire from a mob, prompted calls for the chief constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Matt Baggott, to review the status of the UDA ceasefire. Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton said on Monday that this faction of the UDA “seem to want to have some power or legitimacy within communities and it’s very important that the community themselves don’t do anything to give legitimacy to these groups. There are ways … Continue reading →

A local councillor is urging the public to “let the PSNI police the community” after extensive grafitti appeared throughout Larne and Glenarm. UUP Councillor and Chair of Mid and East Antrim PCSP Andrew Wilson spoke out after the appearance of several signs bearing the words “House Breakers” alongside a symbol of a circle containing a cross. Graffiti on the former Poundstretchers building in Lower Cross Street. INLT-52-704-con Two such slogans were scrawled across Larne’s Laharna building at Riverdale, while another appeared on the boarded-up doors of the former Poundstretchers store in Lower Cross Street and a third was spotted on a wall in Fleet Street. There were also reports of a slogan in Boyne Square, Linn Road and Antiville. Meanwhile, two similar slogans were spotted in the neighbouring village of Glenarm. PSCP Chair Mr Wilson condemned the graffiti, which he said appeared to be “a form of vigilantism.” Graffiti at … Continue reading →

Pressure is mounting on health bosses over the continued refusal to publish a review of patient safety at a hospital for the severely learning disabled and mentally ill. A major criminal investigation is ongoing into the alleged abuse of patients by staff at Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Co Antrim. The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust commissioned a review of adult safeguarding at the facility, the findings of which were made known to families at the beginning of the week. The review found that CCTV footage showed patients being harmed by staff while other staff did not speak out, along with a host of other failings. The Trust’s continued refusal to publish the report — with information to identify patients redacted if necessary — has been roundly condemned by politicians from most of the major parties in Northern Ireland, alongside families of Muckamore patients. The father of a severely learning … Continue reading →

The family of murdered Ballycarry woman Nichola Dickson claim they were “kept in the dark” over her killer’s release from prison. Twenty-six-year-old Nichola was brutally murdered by her partner, David McCord, at her Ballycarry home in 2003. McCord was sentenced to a minimum of 11 years behind bars, but has been back on the streets since July under a pre-release scheme. Shocked to learn that McCord has effectively been released six months early, Nichola’s brother Gareth Smyth and her mother Linda Brown have paid a visit to Attorney General John Larkin, QC, to discuss the case. The pair spoke to Mr Larkin of their displeasure at the “lack of information” available to them surrounding McCord’s release. Gareth told the Times: “We have been virtually excluded from the parole process, and have been shown no proof that McCord has been rehabilitated. “We got a vague letter in July informing us that … Continue reading →

<!– –> NORTH BELFAST North Belfast is a constituency where changing demographics and key and boundary changes have marginally increased the nationalist population. Nigel Dodds has held the seat since 2001 when the DUP snatched victory from the UUP and in 2015 Mr Dodds secured 19,096 votes to Gerry Kelly’s 13,770. Mr Dodds success at holding the seat for a fourth time was made possible by an electoral pact with the UUP. Sinn Féin are currently buoyed by a re-invigorated nationalist electorate but the party do not take their seats in Westminster and have in the past struggled to get their voters enthused by the prospect of voting for a parliament they barely recognise. The SDLP have ruled out electoral pacts with Sinn Féin in the past but the 3,338 votes the party secured in 2015, may provide Kelly with the greatest chance of victory. For the DUP to lose … Continue reading →