Latest news with #RepublicanNetworkforUnity
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police defend blurring suspect's face over taxi driver shooting
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has defended blurring the face of a suspect in the shooting of taxi driver Sean O'Reilly earlier this year. On Tuesday detectives released images of the two suspects with the aim of encouraging anyone with information, or footage, to come forward. Sean O'Reilly, 49, has questioned why the PSNI have released these images with the faces of the suspects pixelated, whilst at the same time asking the public to help identify them. Mr O'Reilly was shot twice as he sat inside his taxi in the Bell Steel Manor area of west Belfast on 23 February. He survived but underwent surgery to remove a bullet from his collarbone and repair a damaged nerve in his arm. He was said to be a member of Republican Network for Unity, a small political group with links to the dissident organisation Óglaigh na hÉireann. In a statement on behalf of Mr O'Reilly, his solicitor Peter Corrigan said: "We have serious concerns around the investigation into our clients attempted murder. "This is just the latest unusual occurrence in this investigation. We see no good reason why the PSNI would ask for help in identifying suspects and at the same time take steps to pixelate the faces of the suspects. "One has to question the motive behind this and who the PSNI are seeking to protect. We will now add this to a long list of complaints already made to the Police Ombudsman in relation to the handling of the case." In response, the PSNI said that "In one of the images, the face of one suspect has been pixelated. This has been purposefully applied in order to prevent potential misidentification or retribution. "Instead, it is hoped that both images, backed by the reward from Crimestoppers, will encourage anyone with information to get in touch using the appropriate channels. "Detectives have made a particular ask, and would reiterate their appeal, to anyone with CCTV to check for similar images that may have been captured from the morning of Sunday 23 February."
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
CCTV images released of suspects in taxi driver shooting
CCTV images of two suspects thought to be involved in the attempted murder of a taxi driver in west Belfast earlier this year have been released by the police. Sean O'Reilly, 49, was shot twice as he sat inside his taxi in the Bell Steel Manor area on 23 February. He was said to be a member of Republican Network for Unity, a small political group with links to the dissident organisation Óglaigh na hÉireann. A reward of £20,000 has been offered from the charity Crimestoppers as detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI's) major investigation team reiterated their appeal for information. In a statement, Det Insp Gina Quinn said detectives believe the two gunmen approached the vehicle on foot from a path that runs between the Glenwood and Laurelbank areas. "The first image shows the two gunmen, one of whom is wearing a high-vis yellow jacket," she said. She added that the image shows the men at about 09:50 GMT and that they're travelling to carry out the attack, which happened at about 10:25 GMT. "The second image was taken at around 10.35am and shows the two men just after the shooting. Here, the yellow jacket has been discarded. "Having fired a number of shots at the victim, the two made off, again on foot, heading back via the same path, crossing the Stewartstown Road, and entering the Glasvey area. "They then crossed the Twinbrook Road and entered the Gardenmore Road area." Det Insp Quinn added: "I am making a direct appeal to local people to share any footage, whether CCTV, dash cam or mobile phone footage. "I am appealing to you to do the right thing and speak up." More on this story
Sky News
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Northern Ireland shooting victim 'denied travel to Scotland for treatment'
A man shot in Northern Ireland has been denied permission on anti-terrorism grounds to travel to Scotland for surgery, his solicitor has said. Sean O'Reilly, 49, was hit twice after two masked men fired shots through the window of his parked taxi in the Bell Steel Manor area of Dunmurry, a suburb just outside of Belfast, on Sunday. An air ambulance was ready to take him to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for surgery, but he was denied travel. Hardline republican political grouping the Republican Network for Unity has said Mr O'Reilly is one of its members. His lawyer Peter Corrigan, of Phoenix Law, branded the decision "absolutely disgraceful". The solicitor said his client was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast on Sunday with non-life-threatening injuries. The following day he underwent surgery for a bullet which had lodged in his collarbone. A subsequent scan showed he had also suffered a severed nerve in his left bicep and arrangements were made for specialist surgery in Scotland. The lawyer said an air ambulance was on stand-by to take Mr O'Reilly to Glasgow on Wednesday evening ahead of surgery on Thursday. He said: "The surgeon has said that he has to be there before Saturday or the nerves will die. "The air ambulance was ready but then he was told that the authorities have refused to take them under anti-terrorism legislation. "We are going to challenge this decision. We think it's unlawful, we think it's absolutely disgraceful, where someone's been the victim of an attack, a gun attack, that he's going to be treated in this way. "It's a denial of our client's basic rights to surgery. "We're shocked by the fact that the authorities would deny someone vital surgery in circumstances where they've been a victim of a gun attack." The Home Office and Scottish government were contacted for comment. Amid concerns of a republican feud in west Belfast, PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Gina Quinn earlier this week cautioned against retaliation for the shooting of Mr O'Reilly, insisting "more violence is not the answer". Asked if dissident republicans were involved in the attack, Ms Quinn told reporters that detectives were keeping all lines of inquiry open. Ms Quinn said one of the two suspects was described as wearing dark clothing while the other was described as wearing a yellow coat. She called the shooting a "disturbing incident".
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
West Belfast shooting linked to republican feud
The man critically wounded in a shooting in west Belfast at the weekend is thought to have been the victim of a republican feud. It happened in Bell Steel Manor in Dunmurry at about 10:30 GMT on Sunday. Republican Network for Unity, a political party with links to the dissident organisation Óglaigh na hÉireann (OnH) has said the man is one of its members. OnH has been linked to a number of gun murders in Belfast in recent years, and there was a split within the group last year. Police patrols are believed to have been increased amid fears of further violence. Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker said there was no "justification for any groups of paramilitary gangs," adding that they did not have support in the community. "This is a brilliant, vibrant community and they don't want anything like this happening," he told Good Morning Ulster. "People have called on these groups, and do not want these groups on our backs. They want them out of our communities, they want them disbanded. "There's no place for them," he said. The Alliance Party's Peter McReynolds, who sits on the policing board, told the Nolan Show: "What we can do is work with the police, support the police, and keep the police informed to make sure that these people are brought to justice". "I think over the past few years the police have done really good work through the paramilitary task force that was set up".
BBC News
24-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
West Belfast: Shooting linked to a republican feud
The man critically wounded in a shooting in west Belfast at the weekend is thought to have been the victim of a republican happened in Bell Steel Manor in Dunmurry at about 10:30 GMT on Sunday. Republican Network for Unity, a political party with links to the dissident organisation Óglaigh na hÉireann (OnH) has said the man is one of its members. OnH has been linked to a number of gun murders in Belfast in recent years, and there was a split within the group last year. Police patrols are believed to have been increased amid fears of further violence. Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker said there was no "justification for any groups of paramilitary gangs," adding that they did not have support in the community."This is a brilliant, vibrant community and they don't want anything like this happening," he told Good Morning Ulster. "People have called on these groups, and do not want these groups on our backs. They want them out of our communities, they want them disbanded. "There's no place for them," he said.
