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Northern Ireland prison officer shot dead in motorway ambush Northern Ireland prison officer shot dead in motorway ambush
(about 1 hour later)
Dissident republicans are believed to have shot dead a member of the Northern Ireland prison service. A prison officer shot dead on Thursday on a motorway in Northern Ireland has been named as David Black by justice minister David Ford.
In what has been described as an ambush, the victim was killed after shots were fired into the car as he drove along the M1 motorway between Lurgan and Portadown in County Armagh. Dissident republicans are believed to have shot dead Black, who is a member of the Northern Ireland prison service. In what has been described as an ambush, Black was killed after shots were fired into the car as he drove along the M1 motorway between Lurgan and Portadown in County Armagh.
At first the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) thought the death was caused by a road crash and shut down the busy motorway shortly after 7.30am on Thursday.At first the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) thought the death was caused by a road crash and shut down the busy motorway shortly after 7.30am on Thursday.
When officers later examined the vehicle they realised that shots had been fired into his car prompting it to go out of control and spin off the motorway at the M12 junction.When officers later examined the vehicle they realised that shots had been fired into his car prompting it to go out of control and spin off the motorway at the M12 junction.
Security sources told the Guardian the dead man worked as a prison officer in one of Northern Ireland's top security jails, which holds several key republican dissident prisoners.Security sources told the Guardian the dead man worked as a prison officer in one of Northern Ireland's top security jails, which holds several key republican dissident prisoners.
Northern Ireland's justice minister, David Ford, has confirmed that the murdered man was a prison officer. The Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers condemned the incident as "a cowardly and evil attack".
Ford said: "This is a horrific murder, for which there can be no justification and will be rightly condemned by all those across Northern Ireland. At its very core this is a human tragedy. A man has lost his life this morning and a family are grieving the loss of thier loved one. My thoughts are also with the wider Prison Service family." Stormont first minister Peter Robinson and deputy first minister Martin McGuinness also condemned the murder. "At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family and we condemn this murder in the strongest possible terms," they said in a joint statement.
"There can be no justification for this brutal attack as this man was going about his daily life. People who work for the Prison Service play a crucial role in our community and any attack on them is an attack on all of us.
"Actions like this have no place in society and those who carried out this murder have nothing positive to contribute, and we refuse to let the people behind this attack divert us from building a better and peaceful future for everyone.
"We appeal to anyone with any information on this murder to contact the PSNI."
Northern Ireland's justice minister, David Ford, has confirmed Black was a prison officer.
Ford said: "This is a horrific murder, for which there can be no justification and will be rightly condemned by all those across Northern Ireland. At its very core this is a human tragedy. A man has lost his life this morning and a family are grieving the loss of their loved one. My thoughts are also with the wider Prison Service family."
Paul Girvan, a Democratic Unionist party (DUP) member of the Northern Ireland assembly, said the man was on his way to begin duty at the top-security Maghaberry prison near Lisburn, Co Antrim, where dissident republicans have been involved in long-running protests against jail conditions.Paul Girvan, a Democratic Unionist party (DUP) member of the Northern Ireland assembly, said the man was on his way to begin duty at the top-security Maghaberry prison near Lisburn, Co Antrim, where dissident republicans have been involved in long-running protests against jail conditions.
A burned-out car was later found in the Inglewood area of Lurgan and is being linked to the shooting, the security sources said.A burned-out car was later found in the Inglewood area of Lurgan and is being linked to the shooting, the security sources said.
The Lurgan-North Armagh area is a base for the Continuity IRA, which killed the first ever member of the PSNI in a terrorist shooting in 2009.The Lurgan-North Armagh area is a base for the Continuity IRA, which killed the first ever member of the PSNI in a terrorist shooting in 2009.
The local SDLP assembly member Dolores Kelly said the entire community was "very anxious" at the return of paramilitary murder to North Armagh.The local SDLP assembly member Dolores Kelly said the entire community was "very anxious" at the return of paramilitary murder to North Armagh.
She added: "This incident is sickening and disturbing, not to mention reminiscent of the worst moments of the last 40 years.She added: "This incident is sickening and disturbing, not to mention reminiscent of the worst moments of the last 40 years.
"The dark forces behind this disgusting murder, which will wreak devastation on the lives of those affected, do not represent the overwhelming majority of people in the north of Ireland and will not achieve anything by taking a life – any life.""The dark forces behind this disgusting murder, which will wreak devastation on the lives of those affected, do not represent the overwhelming majority of people in the north of Ireland and will not achieve anything by taking a life – any life."
Jeffrey Donaldson, MP for Lagan Valley, said: "This is a terrible tragedy. Once again, a small minority are trying to drag us back to the dark days."Jeffrey Donaldson, MP for Lagan Valley, said: "This is a terrible tragedy. Once again, a small minority are trying to drag us back to the dark days."
Finlay Spratt, the head of the Prison Officers' Association, knew the dead officer. "I found him to be a very nice fellow to work with," he said. "He always ensured he did his job to the letter. He was a very good officer, he certainly did his bit."
Spratt criticised the security provisions offered to prison officers since the Troubles ended. "They have stripped away all the security around prison officers," he said. "They treat us now as if we live in normal society."
Both the Provisional IRA and the Irish National Liberation Army targeted and killed prison officers during the long disputes in the jails climaxing in the 1981 hunger strike.Both the Provisional IRA and the Irish National Liberation Army targeted and killed prison officers during the long disputes in the jails climaxing in the 1981 hunger strike.
At present, Northern Ireland's maximum security prison, Maghaberry jail on the outskirts of Belfast, is the focal point for ongoing protests by CIRA and other dissident republican inmates. There is also widespread anger among those republicans opposed to Sinn Féin's peace strategy about the continued incarceration of the Old Bailey bomber and IRA veteran Marion Price in a prison hospital.At present, Northern Ireland's maximum security prison, Maghaberry jail on the outskirts of Belfast, is the focal point for ongoing protests by CIRA and other dissident republican inmates. There is also widespread anger among those republicans opposed to Sinn Féin's peace strategy about the continued incarceration of the Old Bailey bomber and IRA veteran Marion Price in a prison hospital.