Sir, - I refer to Ciaran Byrne's letter of October 5th. While I am in complete agreement with him as to the futility and cruelty of indiscriminate bombing, which only harms the innocent - whether carried out by republican or unionist paramilitaries - the fact is that Diarmuid O'Neill was given no chance to prove his innocence or otherwise.
He had not been charged, was unarmed and was simply shot down in circumstances with which Ciaran Byrne is apparently quite at ease. This is not the first, and will not be the last, example of police acting as judge, jury and executioner.
As to who tramples on the rights of the Irish in Britain, Ciaran Byrne is presumably aware of the number of perfectly innocent Irish people who are routinely picked up and interrogated under the PTA? However, other dangers lurk in London for the unwary who may happen to be Irish or Black.
Watch it, if you are prone to take a drop too much over the Christmas period. You may be the unlucky one who turns up unaccountably dead while in police custody - like Patrick Quinn and Brian Douglas - and Richard O'Brien - and Ibrahim Sey - etc, etc. - Yours, etc.,
Woodlands Avenue,
Wanstead,
London €11.