:00:18. > :00:21.Good evening. One story dominates our programme
:00:21. > :00:28.tonight, the murder of Prison Officer David Black, shot dead in
:00:28. > :00:31.his car on the M1 as he travelled to work at Maghaberry Prison.
:00:31. > :00:39.Dissident Republicans are being blamed. There's been strong
:00:39. > :00:44.political condemnation of the murder. They are flat Earth
:00:44. > :00:51.fanatics, living in the dark Ages, spewing out he could from every
:00:51. > :00:54.pore. What they can't kill is the police process. We are the proof of
:00:54. > :00:57.that. Just why has the first murder of a
:00:57. > :01:06.prison officer in almost 20 years taken place now. We will be getting
:01:06. > :01:10.the assessment of our Home Affairs David Black was a married man with
:01:10. > :01:15.two children. From Cookstown, and a long-serving prison officer, this
:01:15. > :01:18.morning he was shot dead on his way to work at Maghaberry. He was
:01:18. > :01:23.ambushed on the M1 when a car drew alongside him and a suspected
:01:23. > :01:25.dissident gunman opened fire. The attack happened between junction 10
:01:25. > :01:31.and junction 11, not far from Portadown and close to the
:01:31. > :01:34.motorway's Lurgan turn off. The car thought to have been used
:01:34. > :01:38.by the gunmen was later found burnt out at Inglewood off the town's
:01:38. > :01:41.North Circular Road. Tonight his family have appealed for no
:01:41. > :01:50.retaliation. Gordon Adair is close to the scene of the shooting
:01:50. > :01:55.tonight. At true gentleman, a family man, he
:01:55. > :02:02.would never pass you by without saying hello. That is how David
:02:02. > :02:08.Black was described by his minister this afternoon. Here is how the
:02:08. > :02:13.events of the day unfolded. A savage assassination in the rush-
:02:13. > :02:18.hour traffic. David Black's car lies submerged working to a halt in
:02:18. > :02:26.a ditch beside the M one. The 52- year-old was probably already dead,
:02:26. > :02:33.having been hit by several bullets. He had travelled from his home in
:02:33. > :02:39.Cookstown. His journey was end here in violence and horror. Mr Black
:02:39. > :02:42.was approaching the bridge behind me close to Lurgan when at to you
:02:42. > :02:48.to come free with Dublin number plates pulled alongside. The
:02:48. > :02:54.passenger wind down the window and opened fire, hiss -- hitting Mr
:02:54. > :03:02.Black's several times. Mr Black's car went off the motorway and ended
:03:02. > :03:05.up in a deep drainage base -- which. The gunmen's car was found later
:03:05. > :03:09.burnt out in Inglewood. We have been aware that dissident
:03:09. > :03:13.republican groups have been targeting prison officers and they
:03:13. > :03:19.have been a subject of conspiracy to murder by dissident republican
:03:19. > :03:24.groups. The motive behind this is sheer terror. Mr Black was married
:03:24. > :03:28.to Avon, and had two children. He was a member of the Orange Order
:03:28. > :03:35.and volunteered for the Boys' Brigade. He had been a prison
:03:35. > :03:38.officer for more than 30 years. I understand he had applied for early
:03:38. > :03:43.retirement under the enhanced redundancy scheme and that his
:03:43. > :03:48.application was under consideration. This attack bears an uncanny
:03:48. > :03:56.resemblance to an IRA ambush back in the late 1980s. On that occasion
:03:56. > :03:59.the target was a prison officer driving along the A one. That time
:03:59. > :04:05.the officer was able to keep control of his car despite being
:04:05. > :04:10.hit twice. He drove on and survive. Tragically, that wasn't to be the
:04:10. > :04:13.outcome here today. All day the motorway remained shut in both
:04:13. > :04:17.directions as the police carried out forensic examinations and
:04:17. > :04:21.follow-up searches. A short time ago a vehicle recovery lorry
:04:21. > :04:27.arrived. Officers are now eight searching the possible getaway
:04:27. > :04:32.route. This investigation will go on for some time yet. The wider
:04:32. > :04:36.operation is likely to go on for some time. This is of the operation
:04:36. > :04:46.on the motorway seems to have just ended. Cones are being removed and
:04:46. > :04:48.it looks like the motor we should be open again shortly.
:04:48. > :04:54.The family's minister has been talking to our reporter, Louise
:04:54. > :05:00.Cullen. There is an immense sadness and
:05:00. > :05:05.sense of lost there. His wife and kids belong to our church, his
:05:05. > :05:13.mother and father, and his sister. All around there was a great sense
:05:13. > :05:22.of loss and sadness. It is impossible to describe. What about
:05:22. > :05:27.David black? David was a gentleman. A lovely guy to know. Tokely
:05:27. > :05:33.devoted to his wife and family and a degree parents. He was a regular
:05:33. > :05:38.attender at our morning worship each Sunday. He would have been
:05:38. > :05:44.involved in the Church Bowling Club. A guy he everybody likes of and
:05:44. > :05:49.loved greatly, not only in the church but in the wider community.
:05:49. > :05:57.He was very involved in the community? He grew up in Cookstown
:05:57. > :06:01.can live to all of his life. He was very much a committed Cookstown man
:06:01. > :06:07.and well known and respected by everyone. This will have a very
:06:08. > :06:12.wide impact be on the family. would think so. This has not only a
:06:12. > :06:16.tragedy for this family, but for all the good things that have been
:06:16. > :06:21.happening in Northern Ireland. The measure of reconciliation that has
:06:21. > :06:26.come to pass, it has been a slow and difficult thing. This is an
:06:26. > :06:32.area where a lot of the Troubles played out in years past. That kind
:06:32. > :06:38.of healing of relationships that has been happening in the community,
:06:38. > :06:42.this kind of thing impact upon all of that. If I could say, first of
:06:42. > :06:47.all and perhaps of the family, the last thing they want, they made it
:06:47. > :06:53.clear to me, is for this to turn the clock back. They are committed
:06:53. > :06:59.to seeing a peaceful Northern Ireland. They are very clear they
:06:59. > :07:05.want no hint of retaliation on the part of anyone because of David's
:07:05. > :07:09.murder today. David Black is the 30th prison
:07:09. > :07:13.officer to be killed since the start of the Troubles. The period
:07:13. > :07:15.of greatest threat was during the IRA hunger strikes in the 1980s. In
:07:16. > :07:17.recent years, tensions have risen again in relation to a dispute
:07:17. > :07:27.involving dissident Republican prisoners at Magheraberry. Mervyn
:07:27. > :07:29.
:07:29. > :07:32.Jess reports. The roll of honour at the Prison
:07:32. > :07:36.Officers' Association offices at the names of 29 members of staff
:07:36. > :07:43.murdered during the Troubles. This morning's killing one mean another
:07:43. > :07:48.name will be added. The association's chairman work with
:07:48. > :07:53.David Black. He serve this community right down through the
:07:53. > :07:57.Troubles, the hunger strike and everything. This officer did his
:07:57. > :08:05.bit for the community. He would have been coming up to retirement
:08:05. > :08:11.age. For this to happen to him and the family, it is a disgrace. Those
:08:11. > :08:15.people don't listen. There are people out there who know who did
:08:15. > :08:20.this. Let them do their duty and step up and hand their names
:08:20. > :08:25.forward. The last prison officer to be murdered was in 1993. Jim
:08:25. > :08:31.Peacock were shot dead by the UVF at a time when loyalist inmates
:08:31. > :08:37.were protesting over conditions in the Maersk. The vast majority of
:08:37. > :08:41.prison officers was killed by the IRA. 20 staff were murdered by the
:08:41. > :08:46.republican group. Prison staff were viewed as legitimate targets,
:08:46. > :08:52.particularly during the hunger strike and dirty protests. The H-
:08:52. > :08:56.blocks are gone, but prison protests continue. Dissident
:08:56. > :08:59.republican supporters have been demonstrating over inmate searches
:08:59. > :09:05.and conditions. The director- general of the Prison Service here
:09:05. > :09:10.says it won't divert them from changes to depression -- to
:09:10. > :09:14.depression regime. We will not allowed this to do real the efforts
:09:14. > :09:19.we are making to reform or service. We will do everything we can to
:09:19. > :09:22.support all of our staff in the difficult days ahead. The chairman
:09:22. > :09:28.of the Stormont justice committee says the attack was against the
:09:28. > :09:34.entire community. An attack on a prison officer is an attack on
:09:34. > :09:38.society as a whole. Everybody will stand in repulsion to this. I have
:09:38. > :09:43.no doubt there will attend to inflict more pain and kill further
:09:43. > :09:47.people. We as politicians, as community leaders need to stand up
:09:47. > :09:51.and say, it is not going to work. The Prison Officers' Association
:09:51. > :09:56.had a strong message for the Government in light of this murder.
:09:56. > :10:01.I would also call on those that are responsible for the security of
:10:01. > :10:04.prison officers, but they step up to the fore because I can tell you
:10:05. > :10:09.recently, the security around prison officers has been stripped
:10:09. > :10:13.away because we were told that we live in a normal society. Four
:10:14. > :10:18.prison officers, the word normal society doesn't apply. The murder
:10:18. > :10:23.has been condemned by the Grand Master of the Orange Order. Mr
:10:23. > :10:30.Black was a member of a lodge in Cookstown for 30 years.
:10:30. > :10:34.Joining me is the Justice Minster, David Ford. How would you respond
:10:34. > :10:38.to what thinly spat at the say, that the security provision for
:10:38. > :10:42.prison officers has been stripped away? The first thing I have to say
:10:42. > :10:47.is to express my sympathy to the family and to friends, because that
:10:47. > :10:52.is the key issue. There was a family tragedy today. I want to
:10:52. > :10:56.condemn those who would carry out such a deed. It is clear that there
:10:56. > :11:03.are a small number of people people in the society who are determined
:11:03. > :11:08.to drag us back. The vast majority of people are determined we will
:11:08. > :11:14.not be dragged back. On the specific issue raised by Finley, he
:11:14. > :11:18.was talking about the resilience of Prussian -- of prison officers. I
:11:18. > :11:22.do not recognise what he is saying about security being stripped away.
:11:22. > :11:30.As I understand it, security adviser has been given to all
:11:30. > :11:34.prison officers. It has given in general terms. We are hearing today
:11:34. > :11:40.that some prison officers have been unable to retain their personal
:11:40. > :11:47.protection weapons. Why? I have no knowledge of the detail of that.
:11:47. > :11:53.The responsibility of that lies with the Northern Ireland Office.
:11:53. > :11:57.What I can say, is that those require advice or assistance in
:11:57. > :12:04.moving house in emergency, have been given that assistant. What is
:12:04. > :12:08.going on at Maghaberry prison? is going on is the Northern Ireland
:12:08. > :12:13.Prison Service are running the best possible regime with the resources
:12:13. > :12:16.it has, seeking to implement reforms. Seeking to ensure that all
:12:16. > :12:22.prisoners are treated well. this dispute with dissident
:12:22. > :12:25.republican prisoners at the moment? Just because dissident republican
:12:25. > :12:30.prisoners are having a dispute, does not mean that the Prison
:12:30. > :12:40.Service has not doing its job properly. There are a small -- a
:12:40. > :12:41.
:12:41. > :12:44.small number of prisoners who do not excepts prison protocol. We did
:12:44. > :12:47.hear that agreement had been reached, but prisoners and their
:12:47. > :12:51.supporters say that that agreement has been breached. Is that the
:12:51. > :12:55.case? The agreement has been breached because prisoners and
:12:55. > :13:00.their supporters have made threats against prison officers, and we
:13:00. > :13:06.have seen a prison officer murdered. That is the breach of the agreement.
:13:07. > :13:09.We have lived up to the agreement that has been reached.
:13:09. > :13:12.The First and Deputy First Ministers condemned the killing in
:13:13. > :13:15.a joint news conference. The Prime Minister said it was a dreadful
:13:16. > :13:22.tragedy for Mr Black's family while the Chief Constable has said the
:13:22. > :13:26.murder was completely senseless. Chris Page has more.
:13:26. > :13:30.As they have done several times before when dissident republicans
:13:30. > :13:34.have taken lives, Peter Robinson and Mark and McGuinness stood
:13:35. > :13:38.shoulder to shoulder. The leaders of mainstream Unionism and
:13:38. > :13:46.republicanism can dent the killers of David Black. What really gets to
:13:46. > :13:48.me is that somewhere in a so-called safe house a gang of deviance are
:13:48. > :13:54.slapping each other on the back congratulating themselves on
:13:54. > :14:02.carrying out its this murder. McGuinness said that the dissidents
:14:02. > :14:08.would not threaten stability. they can kill is the peace process.
:14:08. > :14:13.We are the proof of that. Our community stance absolutely four-
:14:13. > :14:19.square and United against the activities of these groups.
:14:19. > :14:23.Prime Minister has said the killing his act: A dreadful tragedy for the
:14:23. > :14:27.friends and family of David Black. He added these murderers will not
:14:27. > :14:32.succeed in denying the people of Northern Ireland the peaceful shirt
:14:32. > :14:37.future they so desperately want. Earlier, the chief constable had
:14:38. > :14:46.spoken of his horror and disgust. It was a completely senseless
:14:46. > :14:55.attack. It demonstrates very aptly the ruthlessness and the Shia
:14:55. > :15:01.dangerousness of those who still oppose peace. They are addicted to
:15:01. > :15:07.taking us back to the dark days of the past. Politicians from all
:15:07. > :15:11.sides have come together in combination. They hope that this
:15:12. > :15:14.show of unity will put off any notion that killings can put off
:15:14. > :15:16.that peace process. Our home affairs correspondent
:15:16. > :15:19.Vincent Kearney joins me. Vincent, just last week the Government
:15:19. > :15:22.announced that the threat posed by dissident republicans in Britain
:15:22. > :15:27.had decreased. Is there surprise that this attack has taken place?
:15:27. > :15:33.There is a shock today at the depth of a prison officer. In terms of
:15:33. > :15:38.surprise, this wasn't entirely unexpected. While the government
:15:39. > :15:45.decreased the threat level in Britain, they stressed the threat
:15:45. > :15:49.level remains at the beer. In the past couple of years we have no one
:15:49. > :15:53.but the priority target for dissident groups has been police
:15:53. > :15:58.officers. There has been a general threat against prison officers as
:15:58. > :16:04.well and, against a number of individuals. They were warned that
:16:04. > :16:08.they were being targeted. We know that a number of prison officers
:16:08. > :16:12.have been forced to move home under government-funded schemes. It was
:16:13. > :16:22.the one there was a threat there. There is a sense of shock, but not
:16:23. > :16:27.
:16:27. > :16:31.unexpected. Why now? It could simply be that an opportunity arose.
:16:31. > :16:37.Also, we know that there was an ongoing dispute at Maghaberry
:16:37. > :16:45.prison. 41 dissident republicans are in Maghaberry. Many of them are
:16:45. > :16:50.taking part in a dirty prosects -- protest. They accused the present
:16:50. > :16:54.authorities are breaking an agreement aimed at ending strip
:16:54. > :16:59.searches. The present authorities say that is not the case. Another
:16:59. > :17:03.possible factor is at the moment in the prison service it is running a
:17:03. > :17:06.recruitment campaign. Just last week the new head of the Prison
:17:06. > :17:12.Service expressed disappointment at the low number odds of Catholics
:17:12. > :17:16.joining the service. Is entirely possible that those who killed
:17:16. > :17:22.David Black may hope to deter young Catholics from joining the prison
:17:22. > :17:30.service. This murder this morning was very well-planned and organised,
:17:30. > :17:39.but by who? Dissident republicans are being blamed. There was the
:17:39. > :17:43.announcement over the summer of the new organisation called the IRA.
:17:43. > :17:51.Some of the non aligned so republicans but join their grouping
:17:51. > :17:57.are said to operate in that area. The continuity IRA shot dead a
:17:57. > :18:03.constable in Craigavon. Those two groups will probably fall under
:18:03. > :18:06.immediate suspicion. The Secretary of State Theresa
:18:06. > :18:10.Villiers will join other senior politicians to discuss the murder
:18:10. > :18:13.on The View tonight at 10.35pm here on BBC One.
:18:13. > :18:16.Now some of the rest of today's news. The Fermanagh businessman
:18:16. > :18:19.Sean Quinn will find out tomorrow if he will go to jail for defying
:18:19. > :18:22.the orders of Dublin Court. Today it emerged that the former Anglo
:18:22. > :18:24.Irish Bank has suffered another setback in its battle to take
:18:24. > :18:28.control of Mr Quinn's international property empire. Our Business and
:18:28. > :18:33.Economics Editor, Jim Fitzpatrick, reports.
:18:33. > :18:37.Sean Quinn junior arriving at the Court in Dublin today. Recently
:18:37. > :18:41.free after serving a three-month prison term for content. Sean
:18:41. > :18:45.senior is wondering if he might be the one heading to jail today for
:18:45. > :18:50.his role in pitting 500 million euro worth of property assets
:18:50. > :18:55.beyond the reach of the former Anglo Irish Bank. Judge Elisabeth
:18:55. > :18:59.Dunn had the tax their own bank is losing the battle to recover that
:18:59. > :19:03.property in Russia and Ukraine and has now entered at partnership deal
:19:03. > :19:06.with Russian experts to try and get some money back. On the question
:19:06. > :19:11.whether Sean Quinn should go to prison for his content of earlier
:19:11. > :19:16.court orders, the judge heard his barrier make an impassioned plea to
:19:16. > :19:21.spare him from prison. The judge sold to impose a custodial sentence,
:19:21. > :19:25.it should be stayed pending the Supreme Court appeal. The bank
:19:25. > :19:29.refused to say it the wanted to see Sean Quinn go to jail. But senior
:19:29. > :19:35.council did tell the court that the decision must be consistent with
:19:35. > :19:41.the findings of contempt. The judge adjourned proceedings until
:19:41. > :19:46.tomorrow morning. Sean Quinn walked free again today. Whether he will
:19:46. > :19:48.exit from these kits tomorrow depends on what the judge decides.
:19:48. > :19:51.The Health Minister, Edwin Poots, has announced another investigation
:19:51. > :19:55.into the Fire Service after he received fresh allegations of
:19:55. > :19:59.potential fraud and theft. Two damning reports into irregularities
:19:59. > :20:04.at the service were published last month. Mr Poots said a number of
:20:04. > :20:07.further allegations have been sent to him since then. He has asked a
:20:07. > :20:10.senior civil servant to examine specific allegations. The BBC
:20:10. > :20:20.understands that some of the allegations relate to the misuse of
:20:20. > :20:22.
:20:22. > :20:28.training materials. A man has died after his bicycle
:20:28. > :20:32.was in a collision with the car in Portadown. The woman driving the
:20:32. > :20:34.car was treated for shock at the scene. Time is running out for
:20:34. > :20:37.people to give their opinion on allowances aimed at encouraging
:20:37. > :20:40.young people to stay at school or college. The Education Maintenance
:20:40. > :20:43.Allowance is costing the Government �29 million a year. But proposed
:20:43. > :20:44.changes would reduce the grants which are targeted at low income
:20:44. > :20:54.families. As our Education correspondent, Maggie Taggart
:20:54. > :20:55.
:20:55. > :20:58.reports, that's causing division. Weekly payments of up to �30 were
:20:58. > :21:04.designed as an incentive for sixteen-year-old stented to leave
:21:04. > :21:07.school as early as possible. A dip of almost 100,000 teenagers, a
:21:07. > :21:13.quarter get the allowance. Even supporters of its figure could be
:21:13. > :21:17.better targeted and there have been five proposals for cuts, such as
:21:17. > :21:21.removing the smaller amounts, reducing the �30 payment or
:21:21. > :21:29.reducing the allowance for families. Is the scheme value-for-money? Even
:21:29. > :21:34.young people are divided. Out of the six, to get the payments. Some
:21:34. > :21:38.would like them, and some think too much is wasted. I don't get it. Of
:21:38. > :21:45.course I would like to get it. Regarding the system, I think it is
:21:45. > :21:52.one that needs tweaked. For some it is extra money for alcohol. I don't
:21:52. > :22:01.get it at the moment. I've looked love it -- I would love it. I pick
:22:01. > :22:05.it is a great scheme for helping people same -- stay in education.
:22:05. > :22:10.think it should be specifically for things that will help you to do
:22:10. > :22:14.better in your education. For buying books, buying uniforms.
:22:14. > :22:20.Martin got the grant, and what he spent some untroubled to school in
:22:20. > :22:27.uniform, he doesn't it is it restricted. A lot of money did go
:22:27. > :22:31.towards social night -- towards socialising. If it is going to be
:22:31. > :22:36.an incentive, it has to be able to be spent on things that they want
:22:36. > :22:40.to do. The consultation ends tomorrow, so there's still time to
:22:40. > :22:43.have your say. Registration for competitors in the
:22:43. > :22:46.World Police and Fire Games, which are being held in Northern Ireland
:22:46. > :22:49.next year, opened today. The organisers say finding them all
:22:49. > :22:51.somewhere to stay will be one of their biggest challenges. As our
:22:51. > :22:59.business correspondent Kevin Magee reports, one solution being
:22:59. > :23:04.examined is the use of pop-up hotels.
:23:04. > :23:08.Big games are under starter's orders. Preparations like you at
:23:08. > :23:12.the Mary Peters track are well under way. All told they are
:23:12. > :23:17.expected to attract 25,000 international visitors here next
:23:17. > :23:21.year. They will all be looking for somewhere to stay. With so many
:23:21. > :23:25.extra visitors arriving, the organisers say the expected numbers
:23:25. > :23:29.will exceed the current amount of tourist accommodation on offer. The
:23:29. > :23:33.race is on to find them all bed. The influx will happen next August,
:23:33. > :23:38.which has already one of the busiest times in the tourist
:23:38. > :23:43.calendar when hotel occupancy rates traditionally sought. In Belfast
:23:43. > :23:50.alone and August we were probably high 80s in 2012. There was not a
:23:50. > :23:58.lot of headroom in there for an extra 25,000 visitors. Directing
:23:58. > :24:04.pop up hotels is one option being discussed. In addition, student
:24:04. > :24:07.landlords and places like the Holy Land in Belfast have been asked to
:24:07. > :24:14.register with the tourist board. One landlord says the organisers
:24:14. > :24:21.are cutting it fine. Some landlords would be unlikely to want to go
:24:22. > :24:27.down that. It is too bureaucratic. It is getting close. Students will
:24:27. > :24:32.be here to the end of June, July, then you have to transform its in-
:24:32. > :24:36.between time. The executive is giving the lounger of the funding,
:24:36. > :24:41.almost �7 million, towards the cost of hosting the Games. Could a
:24:41. > :24:46.shortage of accommodation be a hurdle? A in terms of securing as
:24:46. > :24:50.much of the existing accommodation capacity, and by using those
:24:50. > :24:55.innovative ways to expand the accommodation, we believe we can
:24:55. > :24:58.provide enough accommodation. teams are leaving nothing to chance.
:24:58. > :25:08.They have been quick out of the blocks and have that their
:25:08. > :25:14.
:25:14. > :25:21.Time now for the weather. There was a real taste of winter
:25:21. > :25:31.today. Avril day of contrasts. It was a lovely start despite the
:25:31. > :25:34.
:25:34. > :25:39.frost and ice. We had some nice pictures e-mail to us. But was soon
:25:39. > :25:45.replaced with thick clouds and rain. There were reports of heel, sleek
:25:45. > :25:49.and even since no, particularly over the higher ground. The Donegal
:25:49. > :25:53.hills now have a covering of snow. Still some sharks around this
:25:53. > :25:58.evening to contend with. They will ease back to the north coast. So,
:25:58. > :26:02.fairly clear at times in eastern and southern counties. Because the
:26:02. > :26:09.wind is going to strengthen, we could have some gale-force gusts on
:26:09. > :26:15.the north coast. So, still quite called tonight, but not the frosty
:26:15. > :26:19.start some of us have this morning. Because of the strong wind, it
:26:19. > :26:24.won't be too long before the showers were back. Some early
:26:25. > :26:29.sunshine for the East and South, but it will be short-lived. Spells
:26:29. > :26:34.of rain will move in from the West. It will be called with gusty winds.
:26:34. > :26:40.In the heavier bursts of rain, we may find heel and sleet. Possibly a
:26:40. > :26:45.little bit of snow over the higher hills. Tim Butcher wise, similar to
:26:45. > :26:51.today. Still quite windy, particularly along parts of the
:26:51. > :26:55.Antrim coast. Eventually, the winds will start teas and as the do so
:26:55. > :27:00.the showers start tick you are always out eastwards. If you're
:27:01. > :27:05.heading to Ravenhill for the Rugby, it will be drive bike -- it will be
:27:05. > :27:08.dry by kick-off time, but it will be cold. Tomorrow night will
:27:08. > :27:13.generally be colder with temperatures dipping back down