Fears grow over renewed loyalist ‘infighting’
Fears were mounting today of renewed loyalist paramilitary bloodletting in Northern Ireland as the funeral was taking place of a murder victim linked to the Loyalist Volunteer Force.
Progressive Unionist Party spokesman David Ervine questioned the ‘‘mindset’’ of the LVF for apparently seeking to avenge the killing of Adrian Porter, who was on bail awaiting sentencing for drug dealing offences.
The 34-year-old was gunned down in a hail of bullets sprayed through the living room window of his home in Conlig, Co Down last Tuesday.
Porter was believed to have had close associations with jailed loyalist leader Johnny Mad Dog Adair as well as the LVF.
But security forces fear that after his funeral today the terror group will retaliate, possibly reigniting the bitter feud with the rival loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force which has claimed several lives since the start of last year.
But Mr Ervine, whose party is politically linked to the UVF, said the LVF’s apparent quest for revenge was misplaced.
‘‘This is a supposed loyalist group, and this man, who it would seem was a drug dealer, or drug importer at least, is someone so venerated among them that they are going to kill, all in the name of loyalism we are told.’’
The Stormont Assembly member for East Belfast insisted that those involved in the trade could not claim to be defenders of their community.
‘‘You can be a drug dealer, you can be a loyalist, but I do not believe you can possibly be both,’’ he said.
‘‘You can’t pollute the community that you purport to wish to save and I think that in reality we are seeing this on a regular basis that there are those who are involved in nefarious trade.’’
Mr Ervine claimed it was easy to become a drug dealer in Northern Ireland because ready-made drug cartels are in place after years of nurturing among paramilitary groups.
He also told BBC Radio Ulster that despite some ‘‘bad apples’’, the PUP would not be seeking to break its links with the UVF and affiliated Red Hand Commando grouping.
‘‘It would seem that there are quite a number of thousands of UVF members and Red Hand members, and whilst I am absolutely comfortable with the attitude of its leadership and its middle management, I have to say in all honesty there are certainly, probably individuals who are plying nefarious trade,’’ he said.
‘‘For as long as there is a genuine desire to keep their own hands clean by that leadership and they effectively try to do so, then one is relatively comfortable.’’
