Two men have handed themselves in to police in Londonderry and are being questioned in connection with the murder of Emmett Shiels but police say they know that 5 or 6 men were involved. Meanwhile, with Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, telling the House of Commons that “dissident republican activity is at its highest level for five years”, two of those republican paramilitary groups in Londonderry have denied involvement in the murder. In Strabane, however, where Sinn Féin had a little local difficulty with some of their councillors and the DPP, one of those groups is claiming credit for disarming and disbanding a “group of vigilantes”.
“The INLA got involved and have told us that, with the assistance of other republican groups, they investigated the matter and identified those responsible. The INLA then went to this group and gave them an ultimatum to disband and disarm or face the consequences. The INLA told us the vigilante group agreed to disband and have handed over their weapons to responsible people,” [Willie Gallagher of IRSP] said.
Adds Given the references to vigilantes, it’s worth asking the question again – Whatever happened to Community Restorative Justice? In particular, in the North West..