Derry Pizza Driver's 'Killer' Jailed

The Londonderry man jailed this week for his role in an armed and masked gang that shot and killed a pizza delivery man wasn't the one who fired the fatal shots.

However, 20-year-old Gary Meenan was described as a "willing participant" in the events, which led to the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Sean Emmet Shiels on June 24, 2008.

He was jailed for eight years for manslaughter at Belfast Crown Court yesterday, while others remain free.

However, a senior PSNI officer said there's an ongoing police investigation and paid tribute to the strength and resilience of Mr Shiels' family and has also called on the people of Derry to come forward with information that would bring others involved to justice.

Meenan, 20, from Bishop Street in the Maiden City, was originally charged with murdering Mr Shiels but that was left on the books when, just a few days into his trial last month, he pleaded guilty to his manslaughter.

His 20-year-old girlfriend, Nadine Kelly, was handed a one-year jail term, suspended for two years, after she pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by giving Meenan a false alibi for the time of the killing.

Detective Chief Inspector Ian Harrison told BBC NI that he would pursue the suspects until they are brought to justice: "We know that other people were involved in Emmet's murder, and it's only right and proper that we secure justice for him, his family, and his son who will never know his father.

"My appeal is directly to the people of Derry. They may have information and not realise the significance of it, but I need people to come forward and bring any information to the attention of the police.

"I know the identity the people who were involved, but I just need that smaller piece of additional evidence to get those persons into court.

"It is our intent to pursue them until we get a satisfactory conclusion."

(BMcC/GK)