Asda meets Belfast family over 'Sash row'
Asda executives travelled to Belfast yesterday to meet with the family caught up in a dispute over a double killer reinstated after being sacked for allegedly making comments about The Sash.
Protests were held for four days outside the supermarket chain's branch on the city's Shore Road in the wake of Billy Hunter's dismissal.
It later emerged - after Mr Hunter had been reinstated on appeal - that he had shot two Catholic brothers in Mount Vernon in 1975.
Thomas and John McErlane were work colleagues of Mr Hunter's when he lured them to a flat in the estate, supposedly to play poker. He shot them both in the head.
The McErlane family then spoke out about the hurt caused by the public shows of support for the man behind the killings.
Yesterday, Asda operations director Mark Ibbottson and Rick Bendel, from US parent company Walmart, met with the McErlanes at a west Belfast hotel.
Speaking following the meeting, which lasted some three-and-a-half hours, Gerard McErlane said his family was "very pleased with the outcome of the meeting and for their understanding and sympathetic attitude to us all".
He added: "We hope this episode in our life is over. Bigotry and sectarianism in our society is totally unwanted.
"We want to make it clear that prisoners who have served their time have a right to work in their communities and beyond."
Mr Bendel thanked the McErlane family for their "time and dignity" and said Asda recognised the distress the events of the past two weeks had caused to all affected.
He described yesterday's meeting as "positive" and said ASDA would be rebriefing all employees on the importance of respecting other people's views and avoiding offence.
Billy Hunter has not spoken publicly on the matter, but the PUP's Ken Wilkinson said he welcomed the outcome of the meeting.
He told the News Letter: "Billy is keeping his job and I think common sense has prevailed in that decision.
"Now Billy can get on with his life and the McErlanes can move on with theirs. I just hope people allow them to do that."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Belfast
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
