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ACCUSED REFUSES TO ENTER DOCK

Police say girl was sexually assaulted

A BAIL hearing of a man charged with abducting and sexually assaulting a 7-year-old child was held in his absence yesterday after he refused to enter the dock. David Paige (42) gave his address as a hostel in Belfast, but he has been living in Lurgan, Co Armagh.

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He was restrained by prison officers as he tried to turn away from the dock at Craigavon Magistrates Court. He has also been charged with breaching a sexual prevention order. The charges relate to an incident in Albert Street, Lurgan, on Tuesday. The district judge later agreed to hear the bail application in Paige’s absence. A detective constable alleged Peige had intercepted a girl as she was walking home from a friends house on Tuesday and persuaded her to enter his house at Albert Avenue and then sexually assulted her. The court heard the girl told the accused she wanted to leave but claimed that Paige got “very angry” and told her that if she said to he mother and father what had happened she would never be allowed back into his house. The court heard the girl told her father who in turn contacted police. The detective said that the windows of Paige’s home were smashed the same evening and he was taken away by police for his own safety. He was later arrested. Paige is already the subject of a sexual prevention order that forbids him having contact with children. He was refused bail and is to appear again via video link next month.

Meanwhile a 25-year-old man has appeared in court in Banbridge charged with a number of sexual offences against children, including rape. Andrew Trevor Williamson, from Dromore Street, Banbridge, was chargec with two counts of raping a girl who was under the age of 16.

He faces seven charges in total, including sexual activity with another girl under 16, grooming and trafficing within the UK for sexual exploitation. Armagh Magistrates Court was told that all the alleged offences took place in locations in Co Down and Co Armagh between June 2012 and January 2013. He was remanded in custody to appear via video link at Newry Magistrates Court on May 23.

79-year-old due in court

A 79-year-old man is due to appear before Downpatrik Magistrates Court on June 6 charged with a total of 21 offences, including seven counts of indecent assault and gross indecency. He is also charged with seven counts of cruelty and seven of assault occaisoning actual bodily harm. The charges relate to historical offences that occurred in the Downpatrick and greater Belfast areas between 1966 and the present and are understood to involve a number of people.

With many thanks to : Irish News.

ANOTHER PRISONER TAKES HIS OWN LIFE AT MAGHABERRY PRISON

ANOTHER Prisoner at Maghaberry Jail in Co AAn trim has been found dead.

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Geoffrey Singleton, 42, from the Armagh  area, was found collapsed in his ccell on Monday. He was pronounced dead after being moved to an ambulance,

It is understood he took his own life. The police, coroner and prisoner ombudsman have been informed, The ddirector general of the Prison Service, Sue McAlluster, has offered her condolences to his family and friends.

DISSIDENTS BLAMED FOR BOMB BLAST !

BBin blast as police probe ‘ illegal parade ‘ reports

DISSIDENTS have been blamed for planting a bomb which eexploded without warning while police investigated reports of an illegal Republican parade.

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The blast occurred in the Kilwilkie estate in Lurgan, Co Armagh, at about 3pm on Saturday as masked republicans in paramilitary uniform held an Easter commemoration in St Colman’s cemetery. Masked Continuity IRA members marched from thr estate to the graveyard watched by a British army helicopter and police. Two armoured police Land Rovers were parked close to the scene of the explosion. Shrapnel and debris were scattered over a large distence but officers inside the vehicles were uninjured. The device, described by police as crude, detonated inside a litter bin on Levin Road as a crowd gathered to hear a spokesman for the republican faction give a speech which called $hame £ein ” traitors “. Wearing a green army-style jersey, black gloves and beret, sunglasses and with his face covered by a scarf, the spokesman spoke into into a microphone to praise republican prisoners as ” an inspiration “.

The remnants of a bin destroyed in a bombing in Lurgan

Hours after the blast detectives from the PSNI/RUC’s serious crime branch arrested a 46-year-old man in Lurgan in connection with the attack. He was questioned at Antrim Police Station but was released without charge last night. Early yesterday youths in Kilwilkie threw petrol bombs at police patrols. Saturday’s bomb went off close to Lake Street – the scene of intense and sporadic rioting in recent years. It is also the area where the republican splinter group is beleived to have launched high-profile attacks in recent years. Chief Inspector Anthony McNally said : ” We want to reassure the community that we will not be deterred by this attack by individuals intent on dragging us back into the past.” $inn £ein Upper Bann MLA John O’Dowd said the attack was an attemt to kill police. ” ” These so-called dissidents need to come out and explain exactly why they are doing this. The planting of this device along a busy road on one of the busiest days of the year was not only callous – it was stupid,” he said. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness condemned the attack during his Easter oration to republicans in Dublin. He branded those responsable anti-peace process militarible. Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn said most people would be ” outraged  ” by the attack.

With many thanks to : Andrea McKernon, Irish News.

Easter wreath laying ceremony

ONET Wreath Laying Ceremony

 
 
 
Saturday, 7 April 2012
  •  
    16:30
  •  
  •   R.N.U. Armagh invite all republicans to an Easter wreath laying ceremony at the graveside of I.R.A. Óglach Eddie Dynes

POSTED ON BEHALF OF : Public event · By Rnu Armagh.

SAS KILLED IRA DUO ” AS THEY LAY INJURED ” !

Mural commemorating those killed in the Loughg...

TWO IRA men were shot dead as they lay wounded after being confrounted by SAS troops who had been keeping them under surveillance, it was claimed at an inquest on Wednsday 14th March 2012.

 Karen Quinlivan, a barrister representing the familes of the two Republicians, challenged soliders claims that they opened fire to protect themselves against armed terrorists in 1990 near a farm outbuildings in Co Armagh. She alleged : ” You make sure the wounded man is no longer wounded, he is dead.” Dessie Grew (37) and Martin McCaughey (23) died in a hail of 72 bullets near the farm buildings in October 1990. Special forces had been monitoring the mushroom shed near Loughgall because they suspected a stolen vehicle inside was to be used for terrorism. While soldiers argued that care had to be taken that suspects could no longer harm them, Ms Quinlivan asked whether they could have disarmed and arrested the two men.

She told a soldier witness at the Belfast inquest : ” After the two men had fallen to the ground in circumstances where they were clearly wounded by high-velocity rounds, which you will acknowledge are extremely damaging, SoldierD fired two shots into Dessie Grew as he ley face down on the ground and it appears also fired a third shot, the fatal shot, into Martin McCaughey’s head as he lay on his back on the ground.” Yesterday was day three (Wednsday 14th March 2012) of the inquest. Soldiers who will appear later are expected to argue that their lives were endangered, Ms Quinlivan said.

Loughgall, Co.

Evidence already before the inquest jury from a doctor who examined the dead IRA men said they were lying near guns and ammunition. Soldier J, an expert in training SAS soldiers, said servicemen may still be under threat even if their target is wounded. Ms Quinlivan said : ” You seem to be suggesting that it is soldiers’ practice to finish off wounded men?” Soldier J responded : ” It is in the soldiers mind tatn if he is approaching someone that may be wounded, may be still armed, may have something that could harm him, it is his responsibility to render that threat no more.” The inquest is one of several so-called security force ” shoot-to-kill ” incidents which have sparked official investigations. The officer commanding at the time, Soldier K, has denied there was a policy of shoot-to-kill.

The inquest continues….

 

 IRA MAN ” DYING ” BEFORE FINAL SHOT.

AN IRA man was already dead or dying when he was shot on the ground from close range by an SAS soldier, a pathologist told a Belfast inquest. 

Dessie Grew ( 37 ) was one of two Provisionals gunned down near sheds under surveillance by special forces for terrorist activity near Loughgall, Co Armagh , in 1990. A total of 72 bullets were discharged at Martin McCaughey,(23) and Grew and a lawyer for their familes has accused a special forces member of finishing them off while they were  lying defenceless on the ground. Pathologist Dr Nat Cary said : ” You could not assume he ( GREW ) was dead but you could assume he was dying of his other wounds. Even when people are critically injured they may last a few minutes.” The inquest is probing one of several so-called security force ” shoot-to-kill ” incidents which have sparked controversy and a series of official investigations. Soldier D admitted firing the final two shots at Grew, claiming he moved as he opened a barn door, causing the former corporal to instinctively reach for his gun. Soldier D denied firing a third bullet at McCaughy’s head while he was lying on the ground. Dr Cary said that, given the number of bullets discharged and the nature of the injuries, it was highly likely that Grew and McCaughey received shots whilst on the ground or partially so.

The inquest continues….

 

WITH MANY THANKS TO : MICHAEL McHUGH, BELFAST TELEGRAPH.

Commission hears concerns over Armagh band parade

The Parades Commission has been urged to reconsider a ruling which allows a loyalist band to parade through Armagh on St Patrick‘s Day.

St Patrick's Cathedral Armagh The commission heard that St Patrick’s day was vital for tourism in Armagh
 

Cormeen Rising Sons of William have been given permission to hold a procession with 40 other bands and more than 1000 supporters.

The SDLP and Sinn Fein raised concerns about the march taking place on the city’s biggest tourism day of the year.

The parties made representations to the Parades Commission on Tuesday.

The UUP‘s Danny Kennedy MLA and Cllr William Irwin also spoke to the commission, in support of the parade organisers.

The commission is understood to be reviewing its determination and a final decision on the march will be announced later.

WITH MANY THANKS TO : BBC NEWS NI.

RUC APPROVED AND COLLUDED IN 25 MURDERS – REPORT

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Justice at last for the forgotten victims of sectarian murder in Dundalk

English: "Pat Finucane Inquiry" (Pat...

US academic has described his shock at the extent of

apparent British security force collusion in loyalist
paramilitary murders in Northern Ireland.

University of Notre Dame human rights law Professor Douglass
Cassel was commenting after an international investigation
he headed uncovered considerable and credible evidence of
British Army and police collusion in 74 sectarian murders
during the 1970s.

The probe of 25 loyalist atrocities, carried out by a panel
of human rights experts from around the world, found senior
Royal Ulster Constabulary officers were aware and approved
of collusion while officials in London had enough
information to intervene.

The panel`s report also called on the British Government to
appoint an independent inquiry to examine how high up the
chain of command collusion went.

Professor Cassel told the Press Association at the Belfast
presentation of the report: “Personally I was shocked.  The
British Government has a reputation around the world as one
of the leading democracies and one of the longest histories
of the rule of law.”

“To find this extent of collusion in murders in the 25
incidents we investigated was shocking.”

The panel was asked by the Derry-based human rights
organisation, the Pat Finucane Centre, to investigate
allegations of collusion in 25 loyalist attacks from October
1972 to February 1977 – most of which are linked to a
loyalist gang known as the Glenanne group.

Among the incidents they investigated were the May 1974
Dublin Monaghan bombings which claimed 33 lives, the Miami
Showband massacre in July 1975 during which three musicians
and two members of the Ulster Volunteer Force gang died and
the shooting of Catholic policeman Sergeant Joe Campbell in
February 1977.

In only one case, the group was unable to reach a verdict on
collusion because of conflicting accounts – the murder of
51-year-old driver James Marks and 78-year-old passenger
Joseph Toland in a gun attack in Gilford, Co Armagh, on a
minibus returning from bingo.

The panel also met members of three organisations
representing republican victims of violence – Families
Acting for Innocent Relatives, SAVER/NAVER, both in
Markethill, Co Armagh, and the WAVE Trauma Centre in Belfast
which caters for the victims of loyalist violence too.

Among the stories they heard were the murder of a woman in
an acid and petrol bomb attack on a bus in Armagh in 1972,
the shooting of a man pulled from a digger in Mullaghbawn
and shot dead as he cleaned drains on his farm, the killing
of three UDR men when a lorry carrying a 1,000lb bomb rolled
into their barracks at Glenanne in 1991 and a South Armagh
farmer`s account of the intimidation of Protestants who were
driven from their land.

They also heard allegations by at least one former RUC man
that the Irish Republic`s police, the Gardai, was not
co-operative in bringing to justice IRA fugitives who fled
across the border.

While the panel`s remit was to probe collusion in loyalist
killings, Professor Cassel confirmed today: “There are some
allegations we received of alleged failure of the Garda or
the Irish authorities to properly co-operate with law
enforcement in cases of violence against loyalists here in
Northern Ireland.”

“We will certainly be raising that with the Irish Government.”

The report called for:

:: Investigations by an independent team into allegations of
collusion in murders and attempted murders by loyalists,
capable of identifying those involved, examining how high up
the chain of command it went and focusing not just on RUC
and UDR involvement but also British Army and intelligence
agencies;

:: Investigations into murders carried out by republican groups;

:: Full co-operation by paramilitary groups on both sides
with credible official investigations into collusion;

:: The publishing of the findings of all investigations,
including those by the Historical Enquiries Team which
currently plans only to share its findings with victims`
families;

:: The state to acknowledge publicly its responsibility in
sectarian killings where collusion is established;

:: Public apologies from senior officials to the families of
victims of collusion.

________________________________________________________

The Irish American Information Service is a non-profit organization
providing up-to-the-minute political news from Ireland to the world.
The IAIS is funded entirely by your contributions. Please send your
tax-deductible contributions to IAIS at the 907 F St NE, Washington
DC 20002. You can visit us on the Web at http://www.iais.org

The aftermath of the bombing of Kay's Tavern Bar, 19 December 1975. No one has ever been brought to justice for this loyalist atrocity in Dundalk.

Source: Irish-American Information Service (IAIS), e-mail bulletin.

See also:

The Pat Finucane Centre, Derry, statement, 3 November 2006: INVITATION TO THE LAUNCH OF THE REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL PANEL ON ALLEGED COLLUSION IN SECTARIAN KILLINGS IN NORTHERN IRELAND . . .

See: Irish Times/ireland.com, 6 November 2006: Garda Castigated In Report On North Collusion

BBC News online, 6 November 2006: Security ‘Links’ To Murder Plots

Ulster Television News online, 6 November 2006: US academic shocked by report’s findings

Belfast Telegraph7 November 2006 Collusion: PSNI team ‘not capable of getting to truth’ Orde defends cold case team after international criticism

The Irish Daily Mirror, 7 November 2006: Shock report alleges high-level collusion Officials ‘had information on 25 atrocities’ RUC & Army ‘helped loyalists carry out. . 74 MURDERS

The Irish Daily Mirror, 7 November 2006: So many victims

The Irish Examiner, 7 November 2006: Evidence found of British collusion in bombings

The Guardian, 7 November 2006: RUC and army ‘backed killers’

The Irish-American Information Service, 7 November 2006: PRESSURE ON BRITISH TO INVESTIGATE COLLUSION EVIDENCE

The Irish News, 7 November 2006: Questions haunt probe into loyalist collusion.

The Dundalk Democrat, 15 November 2006:‘We just want the truth’ New investigation into 1975 bombing

Produced in association with the Ludlow Family.

Last edited: 19 November 2006 16:51:48

 Visit the Ludlow family’s website.  Visit Justice for the Forgotten  Statement by John Oliver Weir

Download the Barron Report (pdf file) on the Dundalk bombing.

Download the Barron Inquiry Report into the 17 May 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, (pdf file)

Barron Report: on the Dublin Bombings of 1972 and 1973, can also be downloaded in pdf form

Download the Barron Report into the murder of Seamus Ludlow from the Oireachtas website (pdf file)

IRA memorial funding dispute

A row has erupted at Stormont after it was revealed an IRA monument in Co Armagh could be eligible to receive a facelift using European funding.

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The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) recently agreed to assess an application from the Crossmaglen Memorial Heritage Committee, which means the monument could be eligible to receive funding of up to £30,000.

TUV leader Jim Allister said if the application goes ahead, it will be “an appalling abuse of rural development and funding”.

“This application should’ve been put in the bin the very day it arrived,” he told UTV.

“We’ve a minister who’s supposed, under her code of conduct, to be all-embracing and moving on, and here she is considering an application to refurbish a monument to glorify terrorism.”

Agriculture Minister Michelle O’Neill said the proposal from the Heritage committee is “for the preservation, updating and completion of a monument located in the square in Crossmaglen.

“This involves the addition of several plaques to the existing monument. The wording of the plaques relates to the background and siting of the monument, and information about the sculpture,” the Sinn Féin minister said.

The proposal is being reviewed by a cluster group made up of councils in the southern area and Minister O’Neill said any decision to fund the project will be made by the Joint Council Committee.

A spokesperson for Sinn Féin did not confirm whether or not the party was supporting the application, but said: “We understand that an application has been made but all applications are subject to a consideration process and set criteria”.

It is not yet known when a decision on the application will be made, but the TUV says if it gets the green light, the party is determined to fight it.

WITH MANY THANKS TO : © UTV News.

 

Suspicions that Kingsmill killer was informer

A top secret British Army document shows an IRA killer who slaughtered 10 Protestants at Kingsmill could have been arrested months later when he was injured in a gun battle.

The report given to the Sunday World reveals how the RUC and British Army knew the IRA murderer was being treated in Louth county hospital in Dundalk but made no attempt to have him arrested and extradited.

The failure to bring the Provo to justice has led to suspicions that the man – who has never been prosecuted despite extensive paramilitary involvement – was a British agent.

The killer can’t be named for legal reasons. ‘P’ is from the south Armagh village of Belleek but now lives in the Republic.

The Kingsmill families want the Irish government to allow the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) to question him. The HET currently have no authority to arrest or interview suspects living across the border.

The south Armagh man escaped after a gun battle with British paratroopers in which three other IRA members, including legendary republican Raymond McCreesh who would later die on hunger-strike, were captured.

‘P’ was shot and wounded when the paras opened fire on an IRA unit near the Mountain House inn on the Newry-Newtownhamilton Road on June 25 1976. He was struck by three bullets in the leg, arm and chest but managed to crawl away.

He was then ferried across the border and treated at Louth hospital hours later.

A Royal Military Police document dated August 19 1976 reveals that both the RUC and British Army knew he was there but failed to contact gardai to have him arrested.

Four guns were recaptured by the security forces after the gun battle with the IRA, including two which had been used in the infamous Kingsmill massacre five months earlier.

Ten Protestant workers were taken from their minibus in January 1976 and brutally slain by the side of the road.

They were lined up beside their van and shot from two feet. Some fell on top of each other. Then ‘P’, one of the 12 gunmen, walked round the dying men and shot each of them again in the head as they lay on the ground.

Willie Frazer, director of IRA victims group FAIR – who is organising a controversial march through south Armagh to commemorate Kingsmill next weekend, said the security forces were guilty of grave negligence.

“This man did one of the coldest, cruellest things imaginable. He walked over and coolly finished off dying men who were lying in pools of their own blood.” Frazer said.

“Five months later, there was the perfect opportunity to have him arrested when he lay in a hospital bed a few miles across the Border. But neither the police nor the army bothered.

“It must be asked why this IRA man is a protected species. He carried out one of the most heinous acts during the conflict but has never even been interviewed about it.

“Today he walks the streets a free man while the families of the dead are still grieving and are tortured with horrible thoughts of the last moments of their loved ones lives.”

Colin Worton, whose 24-year-old brother Kenneth was killed in the atrocity, said he was appalled by the failure to pursue his brother’s murderer.

“The RUC should have asked gardai to arrest and extradite him to Northern Ireland. At the very least, he should have been questioned about Kingsmill. It makes no sense.

“It’s only now we’re realising it was a very dirty war. But the Irish government still has the power to rectify the situation. They must let the HET interview ‘P’ immediately.”

The four IRA men fled after the gun battle with the paras near the Mountain House inn but three were captured hours later. Daniel McGuinness (18) from the south Armagh village of Camlough was found sleeping in a quarry.

Paddy Quinn (24) from Belleek and Raymond McCreesh (19) from Camlough were discovered in a nearby house. According to the secret army document both Quinn and McCreesh allegedly broke the IRA code of secrecy and named ‘P’ to soldiers as the fourth gunman.

All three captured men were later sentenced to 14 years in jail for attempted murder of the paras. McCreesh became the third hunger-striker to die in the 1981 H-Block death fast.

Paddy Quinn also went on hunger-strike but his mother took him off the protest after 47 days when he was close to death.

February 20, 2012
________________

This article appeared in the February 19, 2012 edition of the Sunday World.

UPDATE – MARCH FOR JUSTICE – UPDATE

March Forjustice

DISCUSTING COMMENTS FROM SINN FEINS RAYMOND MC CARTNEY ON THE BLOODY SUNDAY MARCH: Can you not accept that and the people who will be on that march will be the people who think its acceptable to burn their local gaa club to the ground and you want families to march with these hoods and delinquents.

 These comments that were made by someome from $hame £ein who was an Ex Hungerstriker and has wittnessed many injustice’s but i guess all the big money he’s being paid allows him now to run down the families who want their Justice and i say rightly so WHY SHOULD THEY NOT RECEIVE WHAT IS RIGHTLY THEIRS TO HAVE ?? Signed Seachranaidhe – Irishandproud ( Raymond ) !!!

 

March Forjustice

There will be a bus running from Armagh, will stop anywhere to pick up along the way – If you need a pick up please contact Cait Trainor on facebook or on caittrainor@yahoo.com. There will also be a bus running from Newry, if any1 wants there name down please contact stephen murney on facebook or on stephen-murney@hotmail.com. Thanks

Bloody Sunday March for Justice
Jan 29th 2012
Creggan Shops 2:30pm
Please repost thanks

 

 

 

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