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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Michelle Cullen

PSNI interview man over Michaela McAreavey video as further apology issued

A man has been interviewed voluntarily by the PSNI in relation to a video mocking the death of Michaela McAreavey.

He attended a police station in Dungannon on Sunday.

The video, which was circulated on social media, showed a crowd of loyalists singing a song about the 27-year-old.

READ MORE: Men who apologised over Michaela McAreavey video concerned over 'public witch hunt'

Michaela was murdered whilst on her honeymoon in Mauritius in 2011.

Politicians across Northern Ireland have condemned the content, and the Orange Order has begun an inquiry.

One man who appeared in the video has been sacked by his employer SJC Hutchinson Engineering based in Kilrea, Londonderry.

Michaela McAreavey (PA)

While two other men who were involved in the video, John Bell and Andrew McDade and Richie Beattie, issued an apology through JWB Consultancy for the "vile chant".

JWB Consultancy issued the statement on Monday morning.

It said: "We can confirm a PSNI investigation has commenced under the Communications Act. It is however unclear how the elements of such an offence would be made out.

"We will not be confirming or denying who, if anyone, has been or will be interviewed. No inference should be drawn from this. It is obvious to point out that to begin confirming or denying the position in relation to various persons would simply lead to jigsaw identification by a process of elimination.

"As per the Supreme Court in Bloomberg v ZXC, a person subject to criminal investigation is entitled to privacy up until the point of charge. The media therefore should not speculate as to the identity of anyone interviewed.

"All those represented by JWB Consultancy reiterate their complete shame and regret for their involvement in the incident whereby some persons present at the private event were singing a vile and abhorrent chant about the deceased Michaela McAreavey that was broadcast without any intent to publish this disgusting chant, in a Facebook live video which was being incidentally streamed at the time.

"In any event, regardless of whether broadcast or not, the relevant behaviour is not acceptable in any section of our society, either in public or private.

"Given this matter is now subject to a police investigation, it will not be possible to offer any further specific comment lest it prejudice those enquiries.

"In equal terms, all those subject to investigation are entitled to due process and the presumption of criminal innocence. Similarly, anyone facing employment sanction is entitled to the statutory protections enshrined in employment law.

"This is becoming a public witch hunt, inclusive of repeated death threats and there is a growing social media mob who appear to have lost all grip on reality.

"It is time to now draw a line under this vile incident and allow any investigations to take their course."

Michaela, an Irish language teacher from County Tyrone, was the daughter of Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) football manager Mickey Harte.

She was found strangled in a bathtub at her honeymoon hotel 12 days after her wedding.

Her family and husband, John McAreavey, continue to lead a campaign to bring her killers to justice.

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