SF stance on jail officer murder '˜nauseating'

Its leader Jim Allister declared himself “nauseated” at Sinn Fein’s “pontificating” over the issue of Adrian Ismay’s death.

First and Deputy First Minister Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness are currently in the USA.

Whilst there on Tuesday they met with president Barack Obama, and after news of his death broke they jointly hit out at “those who used the cover of darkness to inflict terror”.

On the subject of dissident republican prisoners celebrating his death behind bars (with Prison Officers’ Association leader Finlay Spratt saying that cigars from Maghaberry’s tuck shop had been handed out among inmates to mark the occasion), Mr Allister asked how many times Sinn Fein members had celebrated IRA killings whilst in jail.

“Now, when their terrorist successors, using Provo Semtex, follow the IRA/Sinn Fein handbook on murder, we are supposed to applaud their hypocrisy,” he said.

The work of Adrian Ismay stands in “stark contrast” to those who detonated the bomb in a city street which ultimately killed him.

That was the message from Anne Connolly, chairwoman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, who was among those issuing statements on Wednesday after the police revealed his death is now the centre of a murder probe.

Mr Ismay also had a number of voluntary roles, and Ms Connolly said “we’re ever grateful to those who work to keep our community safe and people in our community share the sadness now being felt by those who knew Adrian best”.

Justice minister and Alliance leader David Ford meanwhile said that the revelation that he had died of his injuries was “shocking news”.