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| Prison officer murdered after motorway attack | Prison officer murdered after motorway attack |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A prison officer has been murdered after shots were fired at his car, which then crashed on the M1 in Northern Ireland. | A prison officer has been murdered after shots were fired at his car, which then crashed on the M1 in Northern Ireland. |
| The shooting happened on the Belfast bound carriageway between Portadown and Lurgan at 07:30 GMT on Thursday. | |
| The man who died was driving to work. He was a very experienced officer and had worked through the Troubles. | |
| Police are investigating a link between the attack and a burnt-out car found in Lurgan, County Armagh. | Police are investigating a link between the attack and a burnt-out car found in Lurgan, County Armagh. |
| NI's first and deputy first ministers condemned this "brutal attack". | NI's first and deputy first ministers condemned this "brutal attack". |
| In a joint statement, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness said there could be no justification for this murder. | In a joint statement, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness said there could be no justification for this murder. |
| There has been a general threat against prison officers for a number of years. There was intelligence that showed that some individual prison officers were being targeted. | |
| In the past year, a number have had to move homes. | |
| Forty-one dissident republicans are housed at Roe House in Maghaberry. The majority of them are involved in a no-wash protest - some aren't shaving, some aren't washing and some are throwing human waste out onto the corridor rather than using toilets. | |
| This has been going on for a period of time and it is in protest at strip searching. | |
| The prison service is trying alternatives to that. They have installed two scanners at Magilligan and Hydebank, but not at Maghaberry. | |
| Dissident groups and supporters have been critical of the Prison Service over the past two years. | |
| They have accused them of breaking agreements on a pact to end strip searching. There certainly has been a tension there and it's entirely possible that this is linked to that. | |
| "People who work for the Prison Service play a crucial role in our community and any attack on them is an attack on all of us," they said. | "People who work for the Prison Service play a crucial role in our community and any attack on them is an attack on all of us," they said. |
| "Actions like this have no place in society and those who carried out this murder have nothing positive to contribute. | "Actions like this have no place in society and those who carried out this murder have nothing positive to contribute. |
| "We refuse to let the people behind this attack divert us from building a better and peaceful future for everyone." | "We refuse to let the people behind this attack divert us from building a better and peaceful future for everyone." |
| Justice Minister David Ford said the murder was "shocking news for everyone in Northern Ireland". | Justice Minister David Ford said the murder was "shocking news for everyone in Northern Ireland". |
| "My sympathy goes out to his family and colleagues. It is a family and a human tragedy," he said. | "My sympathy goes out to his family and colleagues. It is a family and a human tragedy," he said. |
| "But this is a sign of those seeking to drag us back into the past when most of NI is preparing for a different future." | "But this is a sign of those seeking to drag us back into the past when most of NI is preparing for a different future." |
| Mr Ford said that dissident republicans - thought to be behind the attack - had very little support but could be ruthless. | Mr Ford said that dissident republicans - thought to be behind the attack - had very little support but could be ruthless. |
| He said the threat level in Northern Ireland remained severe and individual prison and police officers had been targeted. | He said the threat level in Northern Ireland remained severe and individual prison and police officers had been targeted. |
| "A number have moved homes in recent times," he pointed out. | "A number have moved homes in recent times," he pointed out. |
| "But it is a matter of getting the measure of the deadly threat and yet the limited support that it has." | "But it is a matter of getting the measure of the deadly threat and yet the limited support that it has." |
| NI Secretary Theresa Villiers said it was "a cowardly and evil attack". | NI Secretary Theresa Villiers said it was "a cowardly and evil attack". |
| "The thoughts and deepest sympathy of us all are with the family, friends and colleagues of the murdered prison officer," she said. | "The thoughts and deepest sympathy of us all are with the family, friends and colleagues of the murdered prison officer," she said. |
| "Like his colleagues across the prison service he was dedicated to serving the whole community in Northern Ireland. This is in stark contrast to the people responsible for this despicable crime." | "Like his colleagues across the prison service he was dedicated to serving the whole community in Northern Ireland. This is in stark contrast to the people responsible for this despicable crime." |
| Labour's Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Vernon Coaker said the attack was "sickening and despicable". | Labour's Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Vernon Coaker said the attack was "sickening and despicable". |
| "Prison officers do a remarkable job in very difficult circumstances. An attack on any one them is an attack on the criminal justice system, the law and the community," he said. | "Prison officers do a remarkable job in very difficult circumstances. An attack on any one them is an attack on the criminal justice system, the law and the community," he said. |
| SDLP assembly member for Upper Bann, Dolores Kelly, said the incident was "sickening and disturbing". | SDLP assembly member for Upper Bann, Dolores Kelly, said the incident was "sickening and disturbing". |
| East Belfast MP Naomi Long also expressed sadness following the shooting. | East Belfast MP Naomi Long also expressed sadness following the shooting. |
| "It has particular ramifications for people," she said. "It is very distressing but also very upsetting in a political way. What the people in Northern Ireland want is for this to be over." | "It has particular ramifications for people," she said. "It is very distressing but also very upsetting in a political way. What the people in Northern Ireland want is for this to be over." |
| Finlay Spratt, chairman of the Prison Officers' Association of Northern Ireland condemned the killing. | |
| "I call on the community in the area that those people come from to hand them over and let justice be seen to be done," he said. | |
| Speaking about the murdered officer, Mr Spratt said: "He's a long serving officer. He served this community right down through the Troubles, the hunger strike and everything. | |
| "This officer did his bit for the community." | |
| This is the thirtieth prison worker to be murdered since 1974 in Northern Ireland. | This is the thirtieth prison worker to be murdered since 1974 in Northern Ireland. |
| The last prison officer killed was Jim Peacock who died on 1 September 1993. | The last prison officer killed was Jim Peacock who died on 1 September 1993. |
| Loyalist paramilitary gunmen from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) sledgehammered their way into the Peacock family's Joanmount Park home in north Belfast and shot him dead. | Loyalist paramilitary gunmen from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) sledgehammered their way into the Peacock family's Joanmount Park home in north Belfast and shot him dead. |
| The motorway has been closed in both directions. | The motorway has been closed in both directions. |