MLA who received death threats brands ‘thugs’ a ‘sub group’ of society

Pulling no punches in his response to the threats the Ulster Unionist MLA described those responsible as ‘faceless cowards’ who would ‘trip over themselves running away if they met you in the street’.

He was speaking after he and three other politicians, his party leader Steve Aiken (a former Royal Navy submarine commander), SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone, Alliance MP Stephen Farry as well as a number of journalists received death threats from loyalist paramilitaries.

Mr Beattie told the Portadown Times police told him of a threat against him and others from ‘what is believed to be the South East Antrim paramilitaries’ and him offered advice on security.

A former soldier who won the Military Cross for bravery, Doug said he treated the threat with ‘utter contempt’.

He said: “I didn’t miss a beat. I didn’t change anything whatsoever because these people are faceless cowards.

“If they were to meet you in the street they would trip over themselves to turn the other way.

“That’s the nature of these people and I give them no time whatsoever and I would not let them affect my life or my family’s life one bit.”

He went on: “Others might say about freedom of speech and an attack on democracy, I just say they are criminal thugs and I have no time for them.

“I will not give them a second thought.

“They would literally wet themselves if they bumped into you in the street and you knew who they were.

“They would trip over themselves turning around and running.

“I have raised this issue before saying these people need to be treated like criminals.

“We go through the rigours of finding them, getting evidence, putting them in court, convicting them as criminals and then we stick them in a separated prison regime in Maghaberry where they are given the rank of brigadier.

“It is absolutely stupid, it’s scandalous we have a society in our prisons which is out of kilter with the society that we all want to live in out here.

“The fact that they feel they can do it and not fear the law is the thing that is concerning. These people should fear the law.

“If we are law-abiding citizens we should fear the law and it will come down on us if we break it.

“These people don’t care and that’s why I won’t give them the time of day.

“I certainly will not stop condemning what they do.”

He went on to stress: “They are not indicative of the loyalist and unionist community.

“They are a breed apart. They are a sub-group who just do their own thing. Thugs, criminals, drug dealers, extortionists, people who want something for nothing, career criminals. That’s what they are. That’s the way they should be treated.

“When they go into jail they should be treated as common criminals and should not be given the kudos of any paramilitary rank.

“Let’s not tar all loyalists and unionists with these people.”

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