DUP councilor continues to “pray” that Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly will ‘very soon face the one true judge just like Marty’

Posted By: May 05, 2017

Ballymena DUP councilor John Carson made the comment in a Facebook post

John Monaghan.Irish News. Belfast. Friday, May 5, 2017

A DUP Ballymena counselor has said that he continues to “pray” that Sinn Féin North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly will “very soon face the one true judge just like Marty.”

Mid and East Antrim Borough Councilor John Carson, made the comment in a Facebook post following an appearance by Mr. Kelly on the BBC NI politics program The View.

During a debate with DUP Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson about the prosecutions of former British soldiers for killings during the Troubles, Mr. Kelly said that “there should be equality under the law, there should be no immunity for anyone.”

Mr. Kelly was jailed for life in 1973 for bombings at the Old Bailey and Scotland Yard in London.

He later received a royal pardon after being recaptured in the Netherlands in 1986 following his escape from the Maze prison.

Mr. Carson wrote that the North Belfast MLA’s comments were “rich” and called on the Republican to “lead by example.”

He added: “Some of us are wise enough to know that will never happen, so we continue to pray that very soon you will face the one true judge just like Marty,” about the death of former deputy first minister Martin McGuinness in March.

Last April the DUP councilor described members of the PSNI as “boot boys” in a Facebook post, which the party later asked him to remove, following controversy over the policing of a Junior Orange Order parade in south Belfast where police used CS spray.

He wrote: “Time for an explanation George,” about Chief Constable George Hamilton, before adding: “Either that or go and take your boot boys with you – see if Gerry (Adams) and Co will shelter you then.”

Neither the DUP nor Sinn Féin responded to a request last night for comment.