LVF shift blame on Lisa Dorrian murder

Colm Heatley:

The Loyalist Volunteer Force has issued a statement naming six people they believe are connected to the murder of missing Bangor woman Lisa Dorrian, it was revealed yesterday.

The organisation sent the statement to Mervyn Gibson, a spokesman for the Loyalist Commission, who said he has passed on the information to the PSNI.

However, the statement is likely to be treated with extreme scepticism.

On Thursday, Lisa’s mother, Pat Dorrian, said she could not believe an LVF statement claiming that the organisation was not involved in her murder.

Lisa (25) went missing after attending a party at a caravan site in Ballyhalbert, Co Down, on February 28.

“I received the letter and passed it on to the PSNI in connection with their investigation into the murder,” said Mr Gibson.

“I wouldn’t want to get the family’s hopes up with this.

“Just because the people are named that doesn’t mean anything.”

Mr Gibson also offered to pass the information on to the Dorrian family.

Mrs Dorrian said her family would contact Mr Gibson.

“We will be interested to see what new names have been added to the ones already mentioned,” she said.

A PSNI spokesperson yesterday confirmed the existence of the letter.

""We can confirm that police have received a letter today through an intermediary which purports to name those involved in the murder of Lisa Dorian," said the spokesperson.

It is understood that members of a family of LVF drug-dealers in east Belfast, who have been implicated in the murder, are not named on the list.

PUP leader David Ervine refused to comment on the LVF statement but said that the PSNI should be given full support in finding the killers.

Meanwhile, Mrs Dorrian has called on the British and Irish governments to do more to help her family.

She said both governments should take a more proactive role in highlighting the family’s plight.

When the campaign for the ‘Disappeared’ - nine people who were killed and secretly buried by the IRA - was at its height in the late 1990s, the Irish government paid for adverts asking the public for help.

“We need all the help we can get and we need this whole tragedy to be brought to an end," she said.

“If the governments would pay for those type of adverts it would be a great help, it would let people know what is going on and what needs to be done.

“It is now nearly three months since Lisa went missing and we have been going through a living hell.

“We want Lisa’s body back so that we can grieve for her properly,” said Mrs Dorrian. An appeal fund has been set up by the Dorrian family to raise awareness of the murder.

Three people have been questioned by the PSNI in connection with the murder but were released without charge.

Unionist politicians have so far refused to blame the LVF for the murder, while the PSNI described speculation that the group was involved as ‘unhelpful’.

Isn't it amazing how silent the Unionists and British and Irish governments are when loyalists are involved in murder in contrast to how vocal they are when republicans are involved in such crimes?