Belfast DUP councillor Ruth Patterson brands Sinn Fein ‘scum’ on Facebook

RELATIONS between the DUP and Sinn Fein hit a new low on Thursday over “shocking” remarks made on Facebook by a DUP councillor.

Belfast City Council representative Ruth Patterson branded Sinn Fein MLAs as “evil”.

And she said a bomb attack on an IRA commemoration parade next month would “do a great service to Northern Ireland” if it wiped out its leadership.

The councillor made her comments following a post on Facebook which imagined an attack on Sunday, August 11 in Castlederg, Co Tyrone which killed scores of people, including Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, and injured hundreds of others.

The remarks come after DUP leader Peter Robinson and Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness fell out in public over the parade.

The First Minister branded the ‘Tyrone Volunteers Commemoration’ parade as “glorifying terrorism”.

On Thursday, relations between the parties nosedived further when Councillor Ruth Patterson penned on Facebook: “Who cares how you would be judged.

“We would have done a great service to Northern Ireland and the world getting rid of these evil, devious, scum like individuals who bombed and murdered their way into government, who walk the corridors of power leaving their blood stained hand prints on everything they touch.”

The remarks prompted fury from Sinn Fein MLA Barry McElduff.

He has called on the DUP to distance itself from Ruth Patterson’s comments.

Barry McElduff said: “This is a shocking comment from an elected representative who is endorsing the slaughter of people attending the parade by machine-guns, rocket-launchers and grenades.

Sinn Fein MLA Barry McElduff calls on DUP to distance itself from Councillor Patterson’s comments

“This type of talk is totally irresponsible and highly dangerous. Is Ruth Patterson advocating a Michael Stone style attack on a peaceful parade? It certainly appears so and we need to hear from the DUP as to whether they support this opinion.

“As has been shown in the past, comments made by political representatives and others can not only inflame a situation but actually motivate people to act on their words.

“Belfast City Council, of which Ruth Patterson is a member, should be looking at this and acting accordingly.

“Ruth Patterson has, by these comments and recent utterances, shown that she has no interest in building a peaceful future but is more interested in stirring hatred, division and whipping up hysteria.”