Monthly Archives: April 2019

A 33-year-old man from Belfast has been jailed after he was convicted of domestic abuse offences. The defendant was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, half to be served in custody and half on licence, after pleading guilty to common assault and attempting to choke his partner with intent to commit false imprisonment. The allegations related to an incident which happened in December 2018. Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Crawford said: “Domestic abuse is a terrifying crime and perpetrators should be aware that there are penalties and consequences for abusive actions within relationships including being locked up behind bars. I encourage anyone suffering from domestic abuse to come forward and speak to detectives in PSNI’s Public Protection Branch. We will treat you with sensitivity and respect.” (JG/CM) Parliamentary reports show first speaker only – follow this lnk for the full transcription. Articles may come from parliamentary reports, various public news feeds … Continue reading →

A 63-year-old man arrested by detectives investigating the murder of Jim Donegan has been released unconditionally. The suspect was detained at Musgrave Police Station this morning, Monday 29 April, under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act. Mr Donegan was fatally shot on Tuesday 04 December as he sat in his car on the Glen Road in west Belfast waiting to collect his teenage son from school. Police have said they believe the INLA dissident republican group was involved in the murder. People arrested under the Terrorism Act must either be charged, reported to the PPS, or as in this case, released unconditionally. Bail is not permitted under this legislation. (JG/CM) Parliamentary reports show first speaker only – follow this lnk for the full transcription. Articles may come from parliamentary reports, various public news feeds and Google News Search. Content is republished here for context. Copyright is respected and remains with … Continue reading →

Police are appealing for information following an armed robbery at a service station in Greenisland, County Antrim. Two males armed with knives entered a business premises on the Upper Road at around 10.30pm on Sunday 28 April. The suspects threatened staff and forced them to open the till before jumping over the counter and taking cash and a quantity of cigarettes. They then fled the scene in a vehicle that police believe was a blue Rover 25. A Rover 25 was later found burnt out in the Townsend Street area of Belfast. It will now be subject to forensic examination. One of the robbers is described as approximately 5’10” of medium build. He was wearing a balaclava, a black coat with a grey hood, black trainers and dark trousers with a high vis stripe on each leg. The second individual is also described as around 5’10” and of medium build. … Continue reading →

A UUP MLA has condemned the “deteriorating situation” facing local healthcare in Northern Ireland, saying that patients are coming to harm as a result of long waits for treatment. Health Spokesperson Roy Beggs said it is medically accepted that the longer people wait for treatment, the greater harm they may ultimately come to. He condemned the current state of medical provision and recent budget cuts for the region. “The number of people who are waiting far longer than is medically safe has now grown to an unprecedented and terrifying level,” the east Antrim MLA said. “The tragic reality is we have now crossed the point beyond which people will be coming to avoidable harm as a result of the delays they are facing. “It is outrageous that so many people are being forced to wait so long for treatment. Even after the maximum waiting time target was cruelly increased last year … Continue reading →

The full list of candidates for the Northern Ireland Assembly election on 5 May has been released by the Electoral Office. Each of Northern Ireland’s 18 constituencies has six assembly seats; in total, 108 seats are being contested in the election. Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are elected under the Single Transferable Vote system of proportional representation. A total of 218 candidates will be standing. The largest number is in East Belfast, where 17 candidates are seeking election, while the smallest number – 10 – is in South Antrim. East Antrim Roy Beggs: UUP Stewart Dickson: Alliance Party Daniel Donnelly: Green Party David Hilditch: DUP Gordon Lyons: DUP Justin McCamphill: SDLP Rodney McCune: UUP Oliver McMullan: Sinn Fein Steven Moore: British National Party Gerardine Mulvenna: Alliance Party Alastair Ross: DUP Ruth Wilson: TUV Sammy Wilson: DUP East Belfast Tommy Black: Socialist Party Judith Cochrane: Alliance Party Ann Cooper: British … Continue reading →