Republican News · Thursday 13 February 1997

[An Phoblacht]

Markets man terrorised

By Peadar Whelan

A MAN LIVING IN THE MARKETS area of South Belfast is afraid to leave his home at night because of a campaign of RUC intimidation against him.

Speaking to An Phoblacht on Monday 10 February, John Johnston said that since he took a case against the RUC last year he has been constantly targeted for abuse and threatened. His partner, Ann Robinson, told us that if RUC patrols see her on the street she is taunted.

Johnston, who regularly travels to North Armagh to visit his three children, has also been stopped by the RUC in the area and he maintained that on one occasion the leading Portadown loyalist nicknamed King Rat was spotted outside the house he stays in.

``Every time I go out the RUC stop me,'' said Johnston, ``they give me full body searches and verbally abuse me. They have tried to goad me into fighting with them''.

Then last Friday evening, 7 February, a friend of Johnston's was stopped outside his house by the RUC who held the woman until a female RUC member arrived. The RUC gave Johnston's visitor a ``thorough body search'' and threatened to empty all her belongings on the street.

According to Johnston the RUC campaign against him began last 11 July after he was arrested and beaten during a peaceful protest against events on Garvaghy Road.

``There was no trouble at the time but the RUC moved in and arrested me. Now I have the assault case against four RUC men and it is up this Friday. I think I have a good chance of winning and they know it so they are trying to intimidate me out of it''.

At a preliminary hearing last week a judge threw out the evidence of one of the RUC men because he couldn't find his notebook where he recorded his evidence about the assault.

Johnston's brother William was shot dead by loyalists on 21 December 1991, just two weeks after he had moved into a new home with his partner.

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