“A possible paramilitary link…”

As the investigation into the killing of Paul Quinn continues, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown reiterates the government position in the Commons today, in the Carnaget Cottages area of Newry, in County Armagh, an 18-year-old is dragged into a garden and beaten with baseball bats by a gang of up to 7 men and there are reports of shots being fired. And according to this report

Police said they were still working to establish a motive for the attack. But the spokeswoman added: “A possible paramilitary link is one of a number of lines of inquiry.”

From the Commons today

Q6. [160149] Mr. Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley) (DUP): I am sure that the Prime Minister will join me in condemning the brutal murder of Paul Quinn at the weekend in County Monaghan. His predecessor gave a commitment that if any political party failed to uphold the rule of law and the democratic process in Northern Ireland, that party alone would be sanctioned, rather than all of the parties in the Assembly. In the light of the killing of Paul Quinn, will the Prime Minister now reiterate that commitment from the Government that only parties in default of their commitments will be sanctioned, and not everyone else in Northern Ireland?

The Prime Minister: And that is the position of the Government. This was a brutal and horrific crime. I have already talked to the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland about this. I am sure that the sympathies of the whole House will go to the family. I echo the widespread condemnation of this atrocious event and the desire that those who carried it out should be brought to justice as quickly as possible. The Chief Constable has stated that there is an ongoing investigation. It obviously would be inappropriate to speculate on responsibility at this time, but I believe that the police on both sides of the border are doing everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice.

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