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Son of prison officer David Black speaks of 'void that can never be filled' on fifth anniversary of murder

David Black's son, Kyle (front left), carries his father's coffin at his funeral in Cookstown in November 2012. Picture by Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker Press
David Black's son, Kyle (front left), carries his father's coffin at his funeral in Cookstown in November 2012. Picture by Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker Press David Black's son, Kyle (front left), carries his father's coffin at his funeral in Cookstown in November 2012. Picture by Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker Press

THE son of murdered prison officer David Black has said that there is "a void in our lives that can never be filled" on the fifth anniversary of the killing.

Mr Black (52), a father-of-two, was shot dead on the M1 motorway near Lurgan on November 1, 2012, as he made his way to work at Maghaberry jail.

His 26-year-old son Kyle said that the family "seek to get through each day as best as we can".

"For my family time has stood still; it feels as though time froze on that day. The pain and heartache remains," he told The News Letter.

"Personally, one of my main drivers in life now is to not let those that have taken so much already take anything further by letting it ruin our lives more than it already has done...we want to use our lives to continue making dad proud each and every day."

No-one has ever been convicted of the murder, and Mr Black said that it was "difficult to come to terms" with that fact.

A battle over extradition proceedings is ongoing in the case of Damien McLaughlin (41), from Ardboe in Co Tyrone, who skipped bail late last year and was arrested in Donegal in March.

McLaughlin was awaiting trial for aiding and abetting the murder, two charges of possessing articles for use in terrorism, two counts of preparation for acts of terrorism and belonging to a proscribed organisation.

The prison officer's church minister, Tom Greer, said he is "absolutely certain that members of Sinn Féin know exactly who murdered David Black".

Rev Greer, a minister at Molesworth Presbyterian Church in Cookstown, said: "But as with every other murder that has happened since supposedly the end of the Troubles, they keep that information to themselves.

"They could easily expose those who are involved in dissident activity and who have murdered people, and they choose not to. That’d be my opinion."

Sinn Féin said the claim was "baseless" and added that the party had "called on anyone with any information on his killing to bring that to the police."