Police interview Sinn Féin’s Kelly after he uses bolt cutters to remove clamp
SINN Féin’s Gerry Kelly has said “no one can be above the law” after he was questioned by police about using bold cutters to remove a clamp from his car.
Mr Kelly, an MLA and a former member of the North’s Policing Board, is facing calls to resign and could be reported to Stormont’s standards watchdog after he was filmed taking off the clamp after visiting a gym in Belfast.
Last night he tweeted: “No one can be above the law. I made a voluntary arrangement to meet the police and met them today for interview. I want to get the issue resolved as soon as possible.”
Jim Allister, leader of Traditional Unionist Voice, said he would “explore” lodging a complaint with Stormont’s Office of the Commissioner for Standards. However, with no commissioner in place, it is unclear what action, if any, can be taken.
Video footage of the incident, which occurred last Friday, shows Mr Kelly bending down to lift a set of bolt cutters, before appearing to work at a chain under a silver car. He then appears to remove the clamp from the vehicle’s front right wheel, before resting it against a nearby wall.
Mr Kelly’s actions were reported to the PSNI by the company that fitted the clamp and he was questioned yesterday.
The maximum sentence for criminal damage in Northern Ireland varies from a community order to 12 months in custody and a compensation order.
Sinn Féin president-elect Mary Lou McDonald said she
did not yet have “the facts of exactly what happened”.
Asked why the party’s policing spokesperson was carrying bolt cutters, Ms McDonald laughed: “I have absolutely no idea. I have absolutely no clue why Gerry has a bolt cutter in his car. Gerry’s solicitors are currently dealing with the clamping. I have to tell you, I don’t have the detail on it.”
A Sinn Féin spokesperson said Mr Kelly had “returned to his car after an early morning gym session to find that his car had been made immobile by a clamp just after 7.20am”.
“He removed the clamp from the front wheel. He left the device nearby and drove off to pre-arranged meetings.
“His solicitor is dealing with the matter and he will be making no further comment at this time.”