MLA (member of the local assembly) denies driving charges

DUP MLA and Policing Board member Joanne Bunting has denied careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident (most probably drunk)

DUP East Belfast MLA Joanne Bunting. Picture by Hugh Russell

The 46-year-old East Belfast MLA was yesterday charged at Newtownardes Magistrates Court, sitting in Belfast, with four offences arising from an incident on March 3rd this year in Ards

Bunting, with an address in Ards, was charged with driving carelessly on the Movilla Road in the town and three offences alleging that following an accident which caused an injury to another person, she failed to stop, remain and report her details to the police within a reasonable time.

None of the facts surrounding the offences were heard during the brief hearing and after her defence solicitor entered not guilty pleas to each of the offences, District Judge Mark Hamill adjourned the case to September 7th. 

With many thanks to: The Irish News and the Belfast Telegraph for original story 

North of Ireland Policing Board in limbo after key adviser leaves her post.

THE Policing Board has admitted that it can no longer carry out its statutory obligations after a key adviser’s contract was not renewed. 

Left: Alyson Kilpatrick pictured with PSNI/RUC Chief Constable George Hamilton.

It is understood the former human rights adviser Alyson Kilpatrick (pictured above) left her post last month. The Policing Board has a responsibility to monitor the performance of the RUC/PSNI in complying with the Human Rights Act. Human rights oversight is regarded as one of the most important functions of the board. Appointed in 2012, Ms Kilpatrick regularly provided expert legal opinion to the board and helped produce an annual human rights report. Regarded as an expert in her feild, she was appointed as a part-time special adviser to the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation last year.

RUC/PSNI, UVF, UDR, UFF, UDA, British Army, MI5, MI6, NCA and the Special Task Force. 

In February this year senior board figures, including chair Anne Connolly, were delegated authority to take decisions across a range of areas. These include ensuring the RUC/PSNI can continue to draw down funding, to approve high value compensation requests and approve RUC/PSNI secondments. However, the adviser’s contract has been allowed to lapse. While independent members continue to meet in privite, a spokeswoman for the board last night said it has no authority to appointment a new adviser. “In the absence of a fully constituted Policing Board, it was not possible to extend the appointment period of the Human Rights Advisor as there was no authority to do so,” she said.

“A new appointment process to fill this role will be initiated when the Board is fully constituted.” Political representatives were not appointed to take their places on the board after the March assembly elections due to the ongoing political crisis. Former board member and SDLP representive Dolores Kelly voice anger at the development last night. “It’s a complete lack of understanding of their role at best,” she said. “At the end of the day these people are still getting paid.” Ms Kelly also voiced concern with regards to oversight of the National Crime Agency and a special task force involving that group, the police and customs officers recently set up to tackle paramilitary activity. The SDLP MLA said the matter needs to resolved quickly. “I call on the board and other independent members to immediately address this serious situation.” “Who made this decision? They need to come clean.” A spokesman for the RUC/PSNI said: “This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Policing Board.”

Irish News Editorial: Another casualty of Stormont impasse IN today’s edition we report that the Policing Board has become nothing more than a ‘talking shop’ because of the inability to appoint a human rights advisor due to the absence of a functioning assembly. Other side-effects of the failure to reestablish a government at Stormont have been the lack of ministers to oversee financial arrangements at the various departments, with under pressure health and education often quoted. Yesterday Secretary of State James Brokenshire again stated that he would have to put a budget to finance North of Ireland departments before Westminster. As he pointed out himself, this is not what the electorate voted for. It is critical that locally elected representatives do all they can to bring about a resolution to the problems which are holding back the reestablishment of an executive. The sooner the better. 

With many thanks to: Connla Young The Irish News for the original story. 

BRITISH SINN FÉIN MAL ATTEMPTS TO INTIMIDATE RSF MEMBERS BUT FAILS SPECTACULARLY.

Today as members of Sands Devlin Cumann, McDonnell Doherty Cumann and Wolfe Tone Cumann Republican Sinn Féin were returning to Lurgan after Commemorating our patriot dead in Belfast, they had the unfortunate experience of passing the ever dwindling British Sinn Féin commemoration. As the bands passed an RSF member asked if “take it down from the mast” would be played. Unfortunately they were not taking requests. 

British politician and upholder of British rule in Ireland John O’Dowd then proceeded to approach the RSF members flanked by his RUC heavy gang and suggested that an RSF member would be “anxious to be getting back to Scotland” and that they should be “going home before getting themselves in trouble”. At this he was met with laughter and the message was made clear that no Irish man or woman would be told to get off Irelands streets by a British politician.

With many thanks to: Sands Devlin Cummann.

‘IRA” says it struck police vehicle with EFP (explosively formed projectile).

THE Republican paramilitary group known as the ‘IRA’ last night claimed it was “confident” it struck an RUC/PSNI vehicle with an EFP mortar in Strabane last week.

In a statement the organisation, sometimes referred to as the ‘New IRA’, said it fired the potentially lethal device at the passing patrol car at Townsend Street in the Tyrone town last Tuesday night. The group claims the EFP (explosively formed projectile) mortar contained Semtex and was triggered by command wire and fired from a distance of nine feet at the police vehicle as it passed at around 8pm. The ‘IRA’ claims that the mortar was moved from another location in the border town earlier on Tuesday after the security forces failed to show up.

Using a recognised codeword, the republican group claimed that an attempt to target a police car with the same device at Townsend Street was abandoned an hour before the attack because of the prescence of civillian vehicles in the area. The RUC/PSNI has said that the device, which it described as a “roadside bomb with command wire attached” was “designed to kill or seriously injure” its officers. Three officers who were travelling in the vehicle were uninjured but believed to be left shaken. The RUC/PSNI vehicle left the area after the attack and police were later criticised for failing to cordon off the scenne for three hours.

Several people were removed from their homes during a follow up operation but later allowed to return. Politicians have condemned the latest attack which came just weeks after the ‘IRA’ tried to kill a Catholic police officer in Derry using an undercar bomb. Policing Board member and SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan said: “Such attacks on the PSNI (RUC) have no place in a modern progressive society.” DUP MLA Tom Buchánan said: “There must be a united and resolute stand from right across the political spectrum to such activities.”

In August 2015, a motar was discovered and disarmed at a cemetery in Strabane after a security operation. EFPs, which can pierce armour over a long distance, have been used by the ‘IRA’ in Derry and Belfast in the past. On those occasions no-one was injured. Unexploded EFPs have also been recovered by the security forces accross the north. Believed to have been developed in Iran, the homemade weapon was regularly used in Iraq. It is considered by some as the modern version of the horizontal mortar – known to republicans as a ‘doodle bug’ – which was used by the Provisionals. Meanwhile, police have been given additional time to question a 20-year-old man arrested in Newtownstewart in connection with the attack last week, while a 31-year-old man arrested on Saturday continued to be questioned last night.

With many thanks to: The Irish News, for the orgional story.

Zionist mural attacked in Belfast

 Graffiti treated as ‘hate crime’

The mural has been attacked before

Police are treating as a hate crime the defacement of a Belfast memorial to an Irish Zionist who fought in World War One.

The words “scum” and “Nazis” were daubed on the mural at the junction of Beverley Street and Northumberland Street.

It honours the life of Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Patterson.

He served in the British Army and commanded a volunteer force known as the Jewish Legion.

Police said the incident happened some time between Thursday evening and Friday morning and have appealed for information about the incident.

DUP MLA William Humphrey said those responsible for the graffiti were not reflective of Belfast and offered his full support to the city’s Jewish community.

“I’m appalled that sick, evil people have sprayed grossly offensive anti-Semitic graffiti on a pro-Israel mural,” he said.

“The Jewish community has and continues to make an important contribution to the religious, cultural, commercial and business life of Belfast.”

MITCHEL TO GET HIS SPEAK IN

SHAME Fein is to tighten its stranglehold on some of the top positions in Ulster politics.

Matin McGuinness is already Deputy First Minister at Stormont. Mairtin O Mueilloir is the current Lord Mayor of Belfast. And this spring another Shinner – Mitchell McLaughlin from Derry – will take over the Speaker’s Chair at the Assembly. Mitchell McLaughlin the MLA for South Antrim, although he’s originally from Derry, he has been serving as Deputy Speaker for some time. DUP veteran Willie Hay is expected to relinquish the prestigious post around April or May. He is also expected to stand down from everyday politics as an MLA. Stormont sources say he will be made a Peer, and take a seat in the House of Lords at West minister.

With many thanks to: Jim McDowell, The Sunday World.

PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING THE ONGOING INTERNMENT OF MARIAN PRICE ( ALL ARE WELCOME ) !