Tag Archives: David Ford MLA

Meeting Sought with Justice Minister on Nichola Case

Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs Jnr is seeking an urgent meeting with Justice Minister about the early release and parole arrangements for David McCord, the man who murdered Ballycarry woman Nichola Dickson in January 2011. Mr Beggs explained: “I have been in detailed written correspondence with Justice Minister David Ford about the sentencing, pre-release, and parole issues surrounding the McCord case.  I have also been asking questions at Stormont- as has my party leader Mike Nesbitt.  There still are however unanswered questions, and major discrepancies between what is being said now in late 2013, and what was said in 2004 at the time of McCord’s sentencing.  I am waiting for a response to my request to take Nichola’s mother and brother- Linda and Gareth to have a face to face meeting with the Minister, to follow up the meeting we had with the Attorney General 3 weeks ago.” The East … Continue reading

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Plan to Transfer Police Response Officers “An Accountant’s dream but a Police Officer’s Nightmare”: Beggs

Ulster Unionist MLA for East Antrim Roy Beggs Jnr has brought the issue of the Transfer of Police Response Officers out of Larne PSNI station to Ballymena to the floor of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Explaining why he was introducing the debate to Assembly, the East Antrim MLA criticised the non-attendance of the Minister for Justice David Ford.  It is normal for Ministers to be present to respond to issues raised in Assembly debates, but Minister Ford declined to attend citing that the Response officer transfer proposal was an operational matter for the PSNI alone. Mr Beggs told the Assembly: “The mantra of “That would be an operational matter” seems to trump everything.  It is precisely that lack of engagement by and the inflexibility of the hierarchy in the PSNI and Department of Justice that has prompted me to raise this issue in the Assembly to ensure that there is … Continue reading

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