Sectarian intimidation in north Belfast linked to UDA, says police commander

Groups and individuals linked to the UDA have been involved in recent sectarian intimidation in north Belfast, a senior police commander has said.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said while UDA elements have been behind incidents that have seen Catholic families targeted in the Oldpark area of the city, he said there was no intelligence to suggest the leadership of the loyalist paramilitary organisation had sanctioned them.

The remarks prompted First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly to call for swift police action against the paramilitary members suspected of involvement.

Mr Beck was commenting at a meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board in Belfast where he was asked about the incidents of sectarian and racially motivated intimidation in north Belfast over the summer months.

“In respect of the sectarian incidents in north Belfast and based on the information that’s available to police at this time, I believe that individual members and local groups linked to parliamentary groups, specifically the UDA in that area, have been involved in those incidents,” he told board members.

“We also have information indicating that these attacks were not sanctioned at a senior level. However, as I say, I believe that individual members were involved in those incidents.”

Mr Beck said police had no information to suggest any paramilitary links to recent race-motivated attacks in Ballymena and Donaghadee.

Sinn Fein board member Gerry Kelly asked for clarification on Mr Beck’s statement that the senior leadership of the UDA had not sanctioned the attacks in north Belfast.

The ACC replied: “I think there is a differential between local groups taking action at a local level and perhaps that command level, for want of a better description, so there is a distinction,” he said.

“What I’m giving you is a flavour of how we assess the situation at this moment in time. But, again, what I say is that I appeal to people to give us information, to talk to us, to help us fill the gaps around that, because we don’t have all the information around all these attacks. If we did, there would be more arrests and people would be before the courts.”

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the police were “throwing the kitchen sink” at bringing those responsible for recent racist and sectarian incidents to justice.

“I’ll never duck these issues, and people play politics, (but) whatever you are doing, (those) involved in this, I don’t care if you are part of the UDA or whatever acronym you want to use, pack it up. Society doesn’t behave like this.

“Whatever side of the street you come from, this is hateful, criminal, abhorrent behaviour. So it doesn’t matter if you’re part of a group or an individual, just stop it and we’re coming after you and we’ll arrest you, because it should not be happening.”

At a press conference at Stormont Castle later on Thursday, Executive leaders Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly were asked about Mr Beck’s remarks.

The First Minister said the PSNI needed to take “immediate action” against elements of the UDA if they have been involved in the recent sectarian intimidation.

“The UDA shouldn’t exist,” she said.

“They should be disbanded and dealt with with the full force of the law and if the PSNI have made an assessment that the UDA are any way involved, then they need to take immediate action.”

The deputy First Minister said she was “totally opposed to the existence of paramilitaries”.

“If the PSNI has intelligence about who carried this out, then they need to investigate that thoroughly, they should be making arrests, and they need to tackle this through a criminal justice process.”

Ms Little-Pengelly also said the Executive is supporting communities with funding focused on social cohesion.

She said ministers are focused on eliminating “threats and intimidation”, instead of having a situation where ministers have to “constantly come out and condemn” what has happened.