Saturday, February 16, 2008
One arrest after arson attempt
BBC report that a currently un-named man has been arrested following another attempted arson attack on an Orange Hall in Portadown. Adds More details in this Newsletter report Update from the BBC report “The 24-year-old man is charged with burglary, attempted arson and criminal damage.” Update Named today as Gareth Breen, from Ballyoran Park, and remanded in custody.
Pete Baker @ 11:52 AM
Nice to get a bit of good news (if the chap is guilty and gets convicted) around these sad attacks.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 12:01 PMGood to get some real indication about what or who is behind this. Teenage drunks, adolescent vandals ready to be recruited by dissidents or is the republican movement fraying at the roots already?
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 12:59 PMSDLP MLA Dolores Kelly condemned the attempted arson attack which she said could have had tragic consequences.
That should put a stop to it then. Nothing works so well as a good telling-off from the SDLP.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 01:10 PMhope he is not an ogra sinn fein member
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 02:15 PMhope he is.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 02:22 PMGoodnews hope he gets a long sentence, it will be interesting to know if he belongs to any republican grouping
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 02:30 PMThese attacks do deserve custodial sentences.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 02:37 PMGreat news. If this guy was involved, then let’s hope he gets sent down for a long time as a message to anyone else who fancies going in a hall-burning crusade.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 02:37 PMGood to get some real indication about what or who is behind this. Teenage drunks, adolescent vandals ready to be recruited by dissidents or is the republican movement fraying at the roots already?
Posted by lib2016 on Feb 16, 2008 @ 12:59 PM
it seems to be Ogra that recruits these teenage drunks in the Newcastle area
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 02:39 PM“it seems to be Ogra that recruits these teenage drunks in the Newcastle area” Harry
the british army recruits these teenage drunks in places like liverpool and east london-and that costs the tax payer a lot more money.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 02:53 PMDoes anyone have a reference to arrests concerning attacks on GAA and Catholic facilities?
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 03:07 PMThere was a story earlier this week (can’t find it online), but I think the Order had been complaining that a couple of people convicted of an Orange hall arson attack the previous week had been given a suspended sentence.
So don’t expect many people to serve time over these attacks, unless they’re a repeat offender - and the chances of them being caught in the first place are miniscule.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 03:08 PMAs you say, Gonzo, suspended sentences are typical for first offenders for most offences. But there was one attack recently where there were people in the hall at the time. In a case like that I wouldn’t expect the sentence to be suspended.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 03:30 PMPresumably sentencing policy would come under the control of devolved justice department - if so would allow SF to show it’s colours on these matters and allow DUP to beef up weak sentencing.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 03:38 PM“it seems to be Ogra that recruits these teenage drunks in the Newcastle area”
All political groups have trouble with their young activists and as long as no-one gets seriously hurt I wouldn’t worry too much about it, nor about those who will deliberately forget the beam in their own eye.
On the other hand Sinn Fein is the party with most appeal to our youth and by the same token has most responsibility for showing leadership to them. It would be good to see that leadership shown as publicly as possible.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 05:13 PMI hear the arrested man is from the loyalist Brownstown estate.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 05:25 PMHate to disappoint some of you, but knowing this halls location in a very staunch, built-up loyalist area of Portadown, and the fact that it happened at 7.00pm, I doubt if the culprit came from the Tunnel or Garvaghy Road.
I just see that ‘Inside job’ seems to confirm my thoughts on that.
Let’s see if the court in Lisburn can shed any light on attacks on other halls around Portadown over the last while.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 05:37 PMOn the other hand Sinn Fein is the party with most appeal to our youth and by the same token has most responsibility for showing leadership to them. It would be good to see that leadership shown as publicly as possible.
Posted by lib2016 on Feb 16, 2008 @ 05:13 PM
dear dear. where was all the newry sf leaders when the cops were provoking the young people of derrybeg and carnagat in newry last week?
nowhere to be seen.
not even Mickey “frank gallagher” brady could make it to the area till saturday night, and then on a completely unrelated issue.
the young people in estates of newry know exactly what leadership sf offer to them… miss councillor pointing out to the cops who threw what stone and what number little johnny lives at.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 06:28 PM‘hope he gets a long sentence,’
No chance.
If we deter such crimes there could be mass unemployment among the professional excuse-making classes of politicians, lawyers, career subversives, and social workers. Expect no local policing and justice powers soon.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 08:27 PMTo the “Laura Norder” brigade calling for stiff custodial sentences for the perpetrators without benefit of any knowledge I would say why not go the whole hog? Why not insist that they be burnt at the stake? That should be atavistically biblical enough to satisfy the most vengeful appetite.
Indications that those attacking these halls may include young people from predominantly loyalist estates might even be seen as heartening insofar as we may simply be dealing with the boredom of youth in a society from which they are increasingly alienated.
If we are not going to do anything to offer a place of hope and inclusion in society to large sections of our young people perhaps the least we
can do is be thankful that they have not begun to emulate their US trendsetters and, so far at least, seem to leave their guns at home when they go to school.Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 08:29 PM‘I hear the arrested man is from the loyalist Brownstown estate.’
Shit!!!
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 08:30 PMrealist,
I’d wait for confirmation from a credible source.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 08:52 PMit must be really galling that a malcontent not from the Catholic community has committed this....
but maybe the big bad whore of Babylon played apart in brainwashing this poor innocent deprived chap into doing this heinous crime!
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 09:47 PMIf this turns out to be some random alcho who happens to live in a loyalist estate (and I am fairly sure the above claims is merely opportunistic water muddying by sectarian republican apologists), it’s clear it will be used by the same usual suspects on this site to claim there is no arson campaign against Orange Halls.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 10:08 PMWhen there bloody obviously is.
Posted by on Feb 16, 2008 @ 10:10 PM
