SF assemblyman wins £9,000 damages for RUC baton attack

Sinn Fein assemblyman Gerry Kelly has been awarded £9,000 in an out of court settlement against the RUC for head injuries sustained during a protest against an Orange parade last June.

The RUC say they cannot identify the officer involved, although the incident was filmed and local people say they know who he was.

At the time he was struck, Gerry Kelly was at a protest on the nationalist side of the peace line against an Orange parade.

He was trying to restrain local people’s anger when he was hit on the side of the head by a police baton.

Recordings of the incident clearly show him linking arms with others with his back to police lines, trying to prevent other protestors pushing forward when he was struck, causing him to bleed from a head wound.

The RUC say they cannot identify the officer involved, although local people claim to know him and he was seen at the time being taken off duty by a senior officer.