PM Boris Johnson leads tributes to former NI Secretary James Brokenshire following his death

Good afternoon from the News Letter
This afternoon we are reporting the death of James Brokenshire. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is “desperately sad” to hear that the former NI Secretary has died. The 53-year-old was appointed Secretary of State for NI in July 2016, but stood down due to his health condition in January 2018. At the time, he revealed that surgery was required on a “small lesion” on his lung.
Former Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie says that it was “not uncommon” for female police officers to suffer sexual assaults at the hands of males colleagues when she joined the police. She was speaking to the News Letter after serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens was convicted of kidnapping, raping and murdering Sarah Everard in London.
Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neill has criticised the Irish Government’s decisions to send Simon Coveney to a church service marking the centenary of partition. Irish president Michael D Higgins declined an invitation to the service, set to be attended by the Queen, because he believed it was not politically neutral and he had concerns about the title of the event.
A former Special Branch detective has hit out at the Police Ombudsman (PONI) after a two-decade long investigation eventually ended with a ‘no further action’ determination from the PPS. He claims he was pursued by investigators “hanging on every word” of disgruntled former Mount Vernon UVF terrorist and police agent Gary Haggarty.

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