Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott has expressed his concern at yet another violent death in Dungannon town, following a stabbing in the Cunningham’s Lane area of the town on Wednesday evening.

Tom states;

“I was shocked and saddened when I received news that yet another young man has lost his life as a result of a stabbing in Dungannon. I wish to express my sympathy to his friends and family both here and in East Timor, where I believe he came from. I know the additional pain and distress that the death of a loved one overseas can bring. I would offer them any assistance I can give in these difficult times, it is terrible that a young man who has come to Northern Ireland to improve his life has had it cut short in this horrific manner.

“Sadly there have been several similar incidents in the town in recent years, and although it is a tiny minority of those who have come to live in the area, perhaps more could be done to inform new-comers that any violence will be taken seriously and to report even minor incidents to the PSNI. I would hope that community relations or the reputation of the town will not be adversely affected by these tragic events and the Police and Justice system will be seen to work for all concerned.

“Over the past years I have been actively working with the police, local industry and community to try to develop some method of providing better information on these issues, it is vital that the message is got out that violence is unacceptable in order to prevent these types of incidents reoccurring in the future.

“Dungannon is the industrial heart of the west, with vibrant food and engineering industries, and growing tourist potential, it is therefore sad that it is hitting the headlines for these tragic reasons, rather than the good news that draws in workers from all over the world. I would call on the entire community, Unionist, Nationalist and recent immigrants to work together to ensure that tragedies like this do not happen again”.