Omagh police shooting: Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill says ‘we stand united in condemnation’ of attack on senior officer
Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill has condemned the shooting of a senior police officer in Northern Ireland.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, the party’s deputy leader said “we stand united as one voice in condemnation” of the attack on Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell.
“It is so important in moments like this that we stand united,” she said.
“And we do stand here united as one voice in our condemnation against this horrific attack on a police officer, someone who is part of our community.
“I think the most powerful message we can send is to stand with the chief constable today and to stand with the police service and to say ‘this is not good enough’.
“This is an attack on all of us, this is an attack on our community.”
Ms O’Neill was speaking alongside the head of Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) and political representatives from the five main Stormont parties, including DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who branded those who carried out the attack as “evil”.
(left to right) SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne, Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle O’Neill, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Doug Beattie, and Alliance leader Stephen Farry
He said: “I would say to the evil people who carried out this heinous attack and their organisation: You are not the future of this place. We stand against you.”
He said that his party would work together with other parties to engage with the government to ensure that resources are made available to the police force “to carry out its job effectively”.
Stephen Farry, the Alliance Party leader, added: “Today, all five parties of Northern Ireland standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the chief constable and, indeed, all of the brave men and women of the PSNI.”
Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell remains ‘critically ill’ in hospital
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Doug Beattie described the shooting as an “attack on our community and attack on our hard-won peace”, while Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Colum Eastwood said those who carried out the attack would “achieve nothing”.
DCI Caldwell was shot multiple times in front of young people he had been coaching at a sports centre just before 8pm on Wednesday, in Omagh, Co Tyrone.
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According to police, the attack happened while the detective was loading footballs into the boot of his car when the two men opened fire.
On Thursday, the force said DCI Caldwell ran a short distance after the first shots were fired and that his attackers continued to shoot at him as he fell to the floor.
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Omagh ‘pupils were directly threatened’
The dissident republican group, the New IRA, is the “primary focus” of the police’s attempted murder investigation, the PSNI previously said.
Three men – aged 38, 45 and 47 – were arrested in Omagh and Coalisland on Thursday morning in connection with the investigation.
A fourth arrest followed in the early hours of Friday – a 22-year-old was arrested in the Coalisland area.
PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne has said that DCI Caldwell remained “critically ill and heavily sedated” in hospital following the attempt made on his life.
“We do not underestimate, from the point of view of the police service, how important it is that we are joined today in an act of unity from all the political parties across Northern Ireland,” he said.
“Clearly we know from what we’ve done so far and from commentary from across the community, and the political spectrum, the sheer sense of outrage of this pointless and senseless attack.”
A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.
She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.
A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.
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Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
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The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.
In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”
Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.
A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.
Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.
The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.
One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.
Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.
Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.
Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”
The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.
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Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.
The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.
A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.
“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”
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Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.
One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.
Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
UK
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
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