David Black murder PSNI appeal marks 10 year anniversary

ON the 10 anniversary of the murder of Prison Officer David Black, detectives from the PSNI Major Investigations Team reiterate their appeal as well as announcing details of an increased reward from the charity Crimestoppers.

The officer leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Kelly made an appeal to the communities of both Cookstown and Lurgan to come forward with information regarding the investigation.

“Our investigation into David’s murder, is very much active.  We continue to work tirelessly to bring those responsible before the courts.

“Today is a particular difficult day for David’s wife Yvonne and his children; Kyra and Kyle. They have endured an unimaginable degree of suffering and loss over the last ten years.

“We believe there are members of the communities of Lurgan and Cookstown who have information that will bring those responsible for David’s murder to justice. David, who was a loving husband and father, was murdered on his way to work to provide for his family. David’s family deserves closure and although it won’t bring him back, it will help bring those responsible before the courts. Time may have passed, but it is not too late to do the right thing for David’s family.

“To date, detectives have made 12 arrests – Eight made by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Serious Crime Branch in Northern Ireland and four made by An Garda Síochána in the Republic of Ireland. Numerous premises, vehicles and area searches have been conducted, as well as completing thousands of lines of inquiry and well over 1,000 statements have been taken.

“We would also like to thank our colleagues from An Garda Síochána , who have worked diligently with our officers in providing assistance with this investigation. We will continue to work closely with officers from An Garda Síochána to bring those responsible to justice.

“We are very grateful to the independent charity Crimestoppers, which is now offering an increased reward of up to £20,000 for information it receives that leads to the prosecution of those responsible.”

Mick Duthie, Director of Operations at the charity Crimestoppers, added, “This appalling crime, which stole a father and a husband from a family, sent shockwaves through Northern Ireland and beyond ten years ago. We hope that our charity’s reward for anonymous information will go some way to helping secure justice for David and his family and friends. With Crimestoppers, we don’t want to know who you are, only what you know.”