Concern at loyalist paramilitary split
Chief Constable Matt Baggott has warned of a potentially volatile situation emerging among loyalist paramilitaries.
His latest security assessment was delivered at a meeting of the Policing Board on Thursday, and comes just after a major split within the UDA in Belfast.
Matt Baggott confirmed that members of that organisation were behind a number of recent paramilitary shootings in north Antrim.
He also said that members of the UVF in east Belfast were responsible for shooting of 24-year-old Gemma McGrath in September.
The Chief Constable explained: “At present we are concerned about developments within loyalist paramilitary groups. Our assessment is that they are fragmenting or have been fragmenting and we have seen a number of competing agendas.”
On the shooting of Gemma McGrath, who was hit as many as five times when she was attacked at Lord Street Mews in east Belfast, Mr Baggott continued: “Our intelligence indicates it was individuals linked to the east Belfast UVF who were responsible.
“There are no indications that this was sanctioned by the overall UVF leadership and it is believed to be carried out by individuals linked to a single unit acting on its own accord.”
On paramilitary activity in north Antrim, he said: “They are attributable to the UDA in the north Antrim area. Once again there is no reporting to indicate that those attacks were sanctioned by the overall leadership of the UDA.”
Matt Baggott stressed that the PSNI will continue its investigations into catching the “parasites” involved in bringing this sort of crime to Northern Ireland’s streets.
He said: “We will continue to relentlessly pursue people who break the law and bring crime to our streets – there is absolutely no going soft on these groups and my view is that those who bring crime to the streets are parasites who will be brought before the courts.”
