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LAST UPDATE | 20 Jan 2019
POLICE IN NORTHERN Ireland are investigating a suspected car bomb which detonated outside a courthouse in Derry yesterday evening.
The explosion occurred shortly after 8pm on Bishop Street in the city centre. It is understood that the PSNI were given advanced warning of the detonation. There are no reports of any injuries.
A photograph from the scene which was tweeted by the PSNI showed a large blaze in the centre of the street.
In a statement on its Facebook page yesterday evening, the PSNI said that a second “suspicious” car had been checked at the scene and that the police force “was now just dealing with an extensive crime scene”.
Politicians have condemned the suspected bomb, with former deputy mayor of Derry and current DUP MLA Gary Middleton describing it as a “disgraceful act of terrorism”.
SDLP MLA Mark Durkan said that whoever was responsible for the explosion “clearly hasn’t got the message that the people of Derry do not want this on our streets”.
“We are trying to move Derry forward and will not let anyone drag us back to the dark days of the past,” he said.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney condemned the attack saying that “there is no place and no justification possible for such acts of terror, which seek to drag Northern Ireland back to violence and conflict.”
DUP leader Arlene Foster tweeted that this “pointless act of terror must be condemned in the strongest terms.”
This pointless act of terror must be condemned in the strongest terms. Only hurts the people of the City.
— Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) January 19, 2019
Perpetrated by people with no regard for life.
Grateful to our emergency services for their swift actions which helped ensure there have been no fatalities or injuries. https://t.co/IMJ7Dn9rAa
“Only hurts the people of the City. Perpetrated by people with no regard for life. Grateful to our emergency services for their swift actions which helped ensure there have been no fatalities or injuries.”
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Lived there for many years. Left after 3 muggings……1 at knifepoint. Most knife crime there is focused in a certain community but people and police are reluctant to point this out as they fear being called racist
Stab capital London. No end in sight
@GloryManUnited2019: it was never as bad here as it is there in fairness!
@Dave Dublin: Be fair Dave, Not all English people are like that.
That’s what you call a scatter gun approach.
That would be justified if the victim had 39 stab wounds
@Paul: one is guilty the others are preventing the police from finding out the truth. They be charged with, with holding evidence, interfering with an investigation etc.
@Paul: what a stupid comment…..
@Jim Buckley Barrett: One or more may the alleged attacker/s. No guilty until tried and convicted
@Paul: be
@Pat O Brien: I hope the victim recovers but I think arresting 39 people at a party who may know nothing is a bit excessive
@Paul: or who may know everything
@Paul: all were in proximity to the alleged attackers and all refused to cooperate, which makes all potential accessories after the fact.
@Paul: ah Paul come on don’t be so naive
39 people arrested for attemped murder. Sounds like the plot of an Agatha christie novel.
How big was the knife?
Was he Julius Caesar?
Arrested 39 people my arse.
@Bluey: your point? Try and use full meaningful sentences.
@Jim Buckley Barrett: Did it upset you Jim?
@Bluey: are you implying that they didn’t in fact arrest 39 people and despite initially refusing to cooperate that they all then simultaneously had a change of heart and voluntarily accompanied the police to various stations to give statements?
@Jim Buckley Barrett: I think his point could be he believes the police to be economical with the truth. That’s what the “39 my arse” would indicate to me anyway could be wrong like
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