Grave belonging to murdered son of Continuity IRA man is destroyed in west Belfast

Floral tributes to him have been strewn across the area in Milltown Cemetery, which is a Catholic Church-run graveyard in republican west Belfast.

Warren Crossan was chased by two masked gunmen through west Belfast streets packed with people and motorists before he was shot dead in late June.

He was aged 28.

His father, Tommy Crossan, had been a figure in the dissident republican movement, belonging to a faction of the Continuity IRA.

He was shot to death just off the Falls Road in Easter 2014.

There had been allegations that Tommy Crossan was an informer, and former comrades had threatened him.

The Sunday World had previously reported that he said: “I’m no tout and never would be... I haven’t stolen Continuity IRA money and I haven’t been involved in robberies. These liars are trying to criminalise me and drive me from my home. But I’m here to stay.”

He was 43, and a father of four.

In a statement released tonight, Sinn Fein West Belfast MP Paul Maskey said: “In the early hours of this morning the grave of Warren Crossan was vandalised in Milltown Cemetery with the headstone and other family tributes destroyed.

“Those involved in this attack must be unreservedly condemned.

“Many grieving families find great comfort in visiting cemeteries, they are places of peace and reflection.

“The desecration of a grave is very distressing for any family.

“Those involved in this criminality should stop this activity and allow this family to grieve in peace.”

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