Northern Ireland

Prisoner uses jail mail to send kill threat

Police are investigating threats to kill made by a prisoner being held in Maghaberry.
Police are investigating threats to kill made by a prisoner being held in Maghaberry. Police are investigating threats to kill made by a prisoner being held in Maghaberry.

THE PSNI is investigating how a prisoner at Maghaberry was able to write and send a letter threatening to kill a north Down businessman.

The prisoner, who has a number of previous convictions,was remanded into custody recently for making threats to kill and breaching a restraining order.

Despite this he was able to write a letter from his cell and have it posted - through the jail's internal postal system - to a man in Co Down, telling him to "look out for two men on large motorbike".

"First time will be a dry run and a warning", the letter states.

Prisoners held at the high security Co Antrim facility are given lined paper to send letters to friends and family.

They are also given one free letter a week, with the ability to buy stamps should they wish to send additional correspondence.

Post, other than legal letters, may be read by staff.

However, questions are being asked as to how a prisoner was able to send a letter to a man he has previously been accused of harassing without it being monitored by the prison service.

In the letter he states that his father "was a former UDR member" and claims a number of close relatives are members of loyalist paramilitary groups.

He adds that he was "handling weapons from 11 and targetting republicans at 15".

Naming two other individuals it states, giving makes of cars belonging to the men, adding "both these b*******s will be sorted in time".

In the two page letter the man refers to himself several times in the third person.

The recipient of the letter, a businessman and anti-drugs campaigner, reported the threats to the PSNI on Wednesday.

The Irish News understands that the prison service was informed immediately.

A spokesperson for the PSNI said: "We do not discuss the security of individuals and no inference should be drawn from this.

"However, if we receive information that a person’s life may be at risk we will inform them accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk".

The prison service declined to comment as the contents of the letter as it is being investigated by police.