Police yet to interview anyone in relation to damaged portrait incident involving Sinn Fein employee - but say it is being treated as a 'hate crime'

Last week, a Sinn Fein employee was suspended and subsequently resigned in relation to an incident in which former DUP councillor Lord Wallace Browne’s official portrait was damaged.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill told the Assembly that a party employee, who worked in the Assembly, had “made the party chief whip aware of their involvement”.

It was later reported in the Irish News that person is the son of a Sinn Fein MLA.

Asked for an update on their investigation on Monday morning, a PSNI spokesperson said: “Police continuing to investigate criminal damage caused to artwork in Belfast City Hall are treating the report as a hate crime.

“The criminal damage is understood to have occurred sometime on Saturday evening, 19th October and was subsequently reported to police on Monday, 21st October.

“Our enquiries are continuing and we would encourage anyone with any information to contact police on 101 and quote reference number 1194 21/10/24.

It is believed the vandalism occurred after an event organised by west Belfast Irish language group Glor Na Mona.

That group denied any knowledge of the vandalism at the time, and has condemned it.

The artwork was created by the painter Israel Zohar, a “renowned Jewish artist” according to DUP councillor Dean McCullough.

The First Minister made a statement in Stormont last Tuesday morning. She said: “Yesterday a Sinn Fein employee who worked in the Assembly made the party chief whip aware of their involvement in an incident regarding a portrait in Belfast City Hall.

“This took place on Saturday October 19. The employee was immediately suspended and we notified the PSNI.

“The employee has now resigned from their employment and their party membership.”

The incident was the latest in a string of political scandals to hit Sinn Fein, and was yet another embarrassing issue the First Minister had to address in the Assembly.