Tom Elliott MLA, Ulster Unionist Justice Spokesperson, says that he is sickened to hear that the family of a convicted Real IRA man, Kieran Doherty, murdered by his own terrorist colleagues, are to receive substantial damages payments.
Mr Elliott said:
"Kieran Doherty made his own choices in life and one of them was to join the Real IRA, a gang of cowards who murdered 29 men, women and children in Omagh including a woman pregnant with unborn twins. The terrorist group have continued to murder more innocent people since then.
"To hear that Mr Doherty's family are now to receive compensation following his death beggars belief and sickens me and many others. It is absolutely wrong and is a slap in the face to the victims of terrorism.
"I have every sympathy with the Doherty Family on their personal loss, but that does not warrant compensation for the death of a terrorist.
"When you consider that the families of murdered security force members and other murdered innocents received a pittance in the past, then this type of payment to a murdered terrorist's family sets a very unjust precedent and sends out the wrong message."