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Dublin: 11 °C Wednesday 22 May, 2013

Two men arrested over death of David Black

The two men were arrested in the Lurgan area early this morning over the murder of Black (pictured) and are now being questioned by the police.

David Black
David Black
Image: PSNI

TWO MEN HAVE been arrested by detectives investigating the murder of David Black on the M1 Motorway in Armagh yesterday morning.

The PSNI said the men aged 31 and 44 were arrested in the Lurgan area early this morning and have been taken to Antrim Serious Crime suite for questioning.

Mr Black, who was a long-term officer with the Northern Ireland Prison Service and a member of the Orange Order, was shot dead on the M1 in Armagh as he drove to work in Maghaberry Prison.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Justice Minister Alan Shatter said that “you can assume that lines of inquiry are presently being followed by the PSNI and Gardaí Siochána” and that the murder was “absolutely reprehensible and barbaric”.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has condemned the murder of Mr Black, saying:

Those who committed this brutal act will rightly be condemned by all civilised and right-thinking people on this island who utterly reject such hideous and mindless violence.

President Michael D Higgins said he had spoke with Northern Ireland Minister for Justice David Ford and asked him to convey his sympathies to David Black’s family and colleagues.

Yesterday, Northern Ireland First Minister David Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness released a joint statement, appealing for help to catch the killers. They said an attack on any member of the NI Prison Service “is an attack on all of us”.

Today, the Taoiseach will meet with Robinson and McGuinness at the North South Ministerial Council meeting today. It is expected that the murder of David Black will be discussed at length.

Read: Killing of prison officer David Black “hideous and mindless”>

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Comments (15 Comments)

  • I grew up 2 mile from where this man was shot. 99.9% of people don’t want to go back to the bad old days of shootings and killings. Absolutely sickening to see killing like this again. How these murders think there actions will do any good is beyond me. I hope the Black family have the strength to get through this, RIP.

  • Cowards, what do they hope to achieve other than making themselves feel important by playing at being an army that nobody wants. If they really want a united Ireland, work at making unionists feel that they have nothing to fear from an island with one govt. This murder puts a united Ireland further away.

    • @Reginald’s Tower. Who are you kidding, a large majority of both religions in Northern Ireland don’t want a united Ireland. They are far better off as they are. Who would want to be ruled by our shower of idiots. I am from Maghaberry but am now married and live in Cork and am very happy and love it here but I despair at how this country is run.

    • Sean C 02/11/12 #

      How this country is run ? politicians are just parrots, and weather vanes that repeat what they hear and point whichever way the wind of public opinion blows. Anyone who wants to see why this country is in the state its in needs to look in a mirror.

    • @Sean C. Maybe if this country had a viable alternative political party people would vote for them, but we don’t so what do you suggest we do?

    • Sean C 02/11/12 #

      That’s my point exactly family guy, everyone complains but no one steps up to the plate.

  • Probably just a case of “round up the usual suspects”.

  • Sympathies to the dead mans family and friends but lets not jump to the conclusion that the men arrested are guilty even before they have been questioned

  • Sympathies to the mans families but lets not jump to the conclusion that the arrested men are guilty before they have even been questioned

  • RIP, Shocking that an Innocent hard working Man could be gunned down on his way to Work.

  • Sean C 02/11/12 #

    Jaysus that sure was quick, arrested, tried and convicted with 24 hours.

  • For every action there’s a reaction ??

  • When will the human suffering of this conflict end on this island? Whether family losing a loved one because of a career choice or its mothers looking at their sons being tortured in Magahberry prison, or fathers like Gerry McGeough (who supports the peace process) being wrongfully jailed because they are Republicans.