Doug Beattie MC MLA, the Ulster Unionist Party`s Justice spokesperson, has condemned the needless murder of a man in north Belfast.
Doug Beattie said:
“Yet again we see the total contempt for life from some quarters of our society. The shooting and murder of a man in north Belfast does nothing to promote a peaceful Northern Ireland and perpetuates fear within the community.
“It matters not what this man was linked to in the past or indeed if he was a member of the Ulster Defence Association. The cold, calculated murder is against the rule of law and it further fragments a community which is desperately trying to secure a peaceful environment for their families. The perpetrators of this crime do nothing for the hard working people of north Belfast who have gone through so much over the years. Neither do they represent any quarter of the community; instead their actions are both selfish and self-defeating.
“I call for calm in the area and I call on the law abiding people of north Belfast and the wider Belfast area to bring any information they have on the murder to their nearest PSNI station. For evil men to succeed all they need is for good men to stay quiet. Condemnation is not enough - we also need community action and proactive measures from the PSNI to prevent any further escalation in this situation.”