Scandalous McAuley decision political - Allister
10 August 2009
TUV leader Jim Allister has blasted the announcement that Pearse McAuley will not be prosecuted in the United Kingdom. McAuley, who was released from prison in the Republic after serving his sentence for the homicide of Garda McCabe, shot his way out of Brixton prison in London in 1991 while awaiting trial on charges of planning IRA assassinations and bombings.
Commenting Jim Allister said:
“It is nothing short of outrageous that McAuley has been allowed to get away scot-free in relation to the crimes he committed in the UK. The Dublin Government should have alert the British authorities to the imminent release of McAuley and he should have been immediately re-arrest the moment he stepped out of jail.
“However, it is evident that, on foot of a political deal, McAuley is being given a by-ball. Remember how hard Sinn Fein, particularly Minister Gerry Kelly, campaigned for his early release for the McCabe killing.
“This is a man who shot his way out of a prison and, at the very least, he should be prosecuted for that. And what of the charges he was to face on planning assassinations and bombings?
“It is quite right that McAuley served a sentence in the Republic for the murder of Garda McCabe but why should he get away with crimes in the UK?
“Once again party of government Sinn Fein/IRA have been able to ensure concessions at the price of justice. The announcement of the CPS that McAuley and his partner in crime Nessan Quinlivan will not face prosecution illustrates that far from side deals with Sinn Fein being a thing of the past they continue apace post-St Andrews”.
