What about our freedom?

Liam Kelly branded the organisation’s claim that no civilians were in the immediate area when it opened fire on police in Londonderry last Tuesday night: “a load of nonsense.”

Mr Kelly was present when the PSNI came under fire during their retrieval of his daughter’s car which had been stolen and abandoned in a field off the Glen Road.

Mr Kelly’s daughter was also present when several shots were fired at the PSNI. Her mother and fiancé were there too.

The car was taken after a break-in in the early hours of last Tuesday during which an X-Box Game console, several games, a handbag and some cash was also stolen.

Mr Kelly reacted angrily to the Real IRA’s claim that no civilians were in the immediate vicinity when the shots were fired.

“That’s a load of nonsense whether they could see us or not,” said Mr Kelly. “I doubt very much they could see us from where they shot from.”

He continued: “The IRA - by saying there was no danger - is a lot of cobblers.”

“I’d like to know how traumatising a young girl and the other people who were there - what about our freedom, you know?” he asked.

Mr Kelly was first alerted to the break-in and theft of the car in the early hours of last Tuesday.

He subsequently accompanied his daughter to the Glen Road area later that day when police contacted them to say they had found the car.

Speaking to the Sentinel in the aftermath of the attack Mr Kelly described the terrifying ordeal suffered by his family.

“We went over. There didn’t seem to be any great damage to the car from what light we could see,” he said.

“When we got there there was also a lorry to take the car away to get forensically examined and it was while we were waiting for a jeep to come to pull the car out to the end of the field the three shots rang out.

“Two of the policemen had walked on down. They were going back to get a form from the police car. They were walking back down. The third was standing beside us.

“All hell broke loose then. As soon as they opened fire. The policeman was on the radio to say they were under fire on the Glen Road. Gunshots on the Glen Road.”

He added: “Caroline’s traumatised by it and her mother too. And the lorry driver. Everyone’s kind of traumatised by it.”

Detectives from the PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch arrested two men subsequent to the attack.

One 31-year-old man was arrested and released unconditionally at the weekend.

Another 35 year old man was arrested in the Creggan area on Monday and was also unconditionally released.

In a claim of responsibility released to the media last week the Real IRA promised further attacks.

SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan said: “The admission by the Real IRA that they were responsible for the cynically-staged, cowardly shooting attack on PSNI officers in the Glen does not tell us anything we did not already know about that organisation.

“Their statement makes no credible point just as their violence serves no democratic purpose. In attacking and threatening police officers they are attacking and threatening the public whom those officers serve.”