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McDonald denies South Belfast UDA involved in Boreland murder

UDA leader Jackie McDonald
UDA leader Jackie McDonald UDA leader Jackie McDonald

PROMINENT loyalist Jackie McDonald has spoken out to deny that members of the South Belfast UDA were involved in the murder of one-time 'brigadier' John Boreland.

The senior loyalist moved to scotch reports that one of the getaway cars was stored in the Sandy Row area of south Belfast in the days leading up to the attack.

One man has been arrested in connection with the gun attack and a number of houses of leading loyalists searched as part of the police investigation.

Senior UDA men were also approached by detectives and asked for details of their movements on Sunday August 7, when the 46-year-old was shot dead outside his flat in the Ballysillan area of north Belfast.

One of the cars used in the murder, a silver Renault Megane, is alleged to have been stored in the loyalist Sandy Row prior to the murder before being recovered partially burnt on the outskirts of north Belfast.

Police, who said Boreland was warned to step up his security in the weeks before he was killed, have said loyalist infighting is a main line of enquiry.

There is speculation that some of those involved in the murder of the father-of-three have links to the mainstream UDA and have breached the organisation's ceasefire.

A man nominated by the mainstream UDA to replace former 'brigadier' John Bunting as leader in North Belfast is a key suspect in the Boreland murder.

While his 'appointment' was blocked by members of the organisation based in the Shankill, he was later involved in a number of altercations with Boreland and other members of the renegade north Belfast UDA led by Boreland.

Loyalist leader Jackie McDonald has moved to deny that members in south Belfast were behind the attack and said they remain committed to the ceasefire and the principles of the Loyalist Communities Council which was launched last year in an attempt to move paramilitaries away from violence.

In a statement to the Irish News, McDonald said that he "knew Boreland well, "in fact ten years ago we would have thought of each other as friends, but we each chose different career paths and went our separate ways".

"There has been and will be much speculation about 'Bonzers' lifestyle and many theories as to who was responsible for his murder", he said.

"Sadly, myself and some other people have somehow been implicated according to the more dubious members of the local media.

"I can state categorically that those allegations are a complete fabrication and without foundation. They are absolute lies.

"I, and my colleagues in South Belfast UPRG (Ulster Political Research Group) have worked tirelessly in recent years to bring loyalist communities together and we certainly didn't want to see any more bloodshed.

"We believed that the decent, genuine people in north Belfast had suffered enough as a result of republican violence throughout the conflict and the more recent feuding within loyalism in that area.

"The agreed ceasefires, the Good Friday Agreement and loyalist decommissioning of weapons were designed to achieve a normality that would see these types of murders a thing of the past", he added.