Did Chris Ward Look Shifty To You?
Ah the infamous Northern Bank robbery. Almost a year now, isn’t it?
And in a bizarre twist, one of the employees involved in the heist is also suspected of being involved in the heist.
Jimmy Porter on Desolate Row tells us why he thought Chris Ward was involved in the Northern Bank robbery since his television interview in January last year. Strangely, Mrs Levee and her Sister were talking about this very same thing the other evening.
I said to friends after Ward’s ‘interview’ with Kevin Magee on BBC’s Spotlight back in January, that I thought Chris Ward may have been involved. They scoffed at this idea, saying I shouldn’t be so judgementative. But lets look at the evidence I picked up by simply watching a 30 minute interview with half a bottle of merlot in me.
I didn’t have any definite thoughts either way about Chris’ possible involvement, so I’d be interested to hear what others thought about his arrest.
Update: Because this piece is ranking frighteningly highly in Google at the moment, here’s a bit of a disclaimer! I don’t know Chris Ward, or enough about the actual Northern Bank Robbery last year to comdemn the fella. A number of commenters here and elsewhere have suggested that they know Chris and his family personally. I’ve heard similar things from my In-Laws who lived in that area at a time and know the family.
I am watching this case with much interest at the moment, anyway. What is the circumstantial evidence? What raised the suspicions of the PSNI? Where are the mass protests at the court from Sinn Fein?
Did Chris Ward Look Shifty To You?
Would this be a safe question to answer beyond the obvious one based on Geographical determinism ?
Another arrest. Hopefully more to come!
I think it is unbelievable to think Mr Ward was involved in this robbery - he and his family have been through a nightmare of an ordeal and now Mr ward is having to go through this! I am firmly behind Mr Ward and hopefully justice will be done
well, he’s been charged now. I wonder what his family think of this situation? Werent they held at gunpoint (presumably completely oblivious to his potential involvement?)
As our shinner friends so often say - have we any proof that the family actually were held at gunpoint ?
..funnily enough Chirs hasnt blogged on this one. Tres etrange. Perhaps there is a conference call to ensure no more “Francies”
I actually know the family and it is a shame that we still seem to forget that innocent until proven guilty is a right we have fought for. Chris and his family are the most upstanding, honest and kind family I know. For those people who judge by geography or religion…I am protestant. I was always made very welcome in their house and Chris would in no way endanger his family. This is a complete stitch up based on stereotypes…god…someone looks shifty?? Jeez come on…serial killers are always described as being so “quiet”. Let’s stop judging people on their appearances and open our minds. There are more crooks in politics, policing and perhaps dare I say it in the Northern Bank than we would all care to admit to. The banks screw us over all of the time. We need to open our eyes. Chris is innocent.
No harm to you Les, but why should we believe you ?
I’ve heard the comments such ‘oh he looks a bit shifty’ a lot of times since the interview came out. I think it’s a total nonsense. I honestly don’t believe that any decent person (as Chris seems to be) would put their family through that hell, for any amount of money.
This whole affair smells incredibly fishy, and I think it’s now a case of the PSNI playing Keystone Cops, making all the right noises, to be seen to be actually doing something, anything, with the investigation, which, one year on, has not exactly been a roaring success, has it ?
If evidence against Chris Ward was so strong, why did it take a year to charge him ? He always co-operated fully with Police, despite suffering a distressing ordeal, so why were he and his family bugged without their knowledge ?
Yet again, we have these high profile arrests, with nothing other than purely circumstantial evidence (by the PSNI’s own admission, in this case) to base them on. Remember the hoo-haa over the Stormont ‘Spy ring’ ? Remember the political implications that had ? Note how the drums and fanfares aren’t sounding today, now that the case has collapsed, due to lack of evidence.
Remember Peter Kelly, the guy arrested a few weeks ago in connection with the Northern robbery, alleged to have a list of civil servants (what that has to do with a bank robbery, who knows ?!)… note how theres no blaze of publicity, as he too, is today freed without charge.
Something is not right at all in this sham of an investigation. It is my belief that the PSNI are not half as clued up on what happened as they would have the public believe. Hence, the likes of Chris Ward is being fitted up, so the blame can be pinned somewhere.
Hopefully justice will prevail, and the truth about this whole debacle will emerge. Meanwhile, spare a thought for Chris this Christmas, he’ll be spending it in prison.
Fair play to ya…why should we believe anything? The press, the police? I just know the truth in my heart and I have no reason to lie. I do not fit into the neat stereotypes that you would expect. I am Protestant, I come from a mixed heritage family, I work with young children, I believe in God… The truth is we can’t believe anybody. I just know in my heart and from experience that Chris would not do it. Do I need to produce my bank statement to be believed??lol Minus figures don’t count…I have nothing to gain from telling the truth.
Is there any particular reason my post was censored ? It didn’t contain anything insulting or inflamatory. I came here to get away from the likes of u.tv’s over zealous moderators !
Sorry, ignore that last comment, it disappeared before my very eyes !
Ciaran: Everybody who comments here has to have at least one approved comment to be able to comment freely. I’ve been away for a few days, so only got to your comments now! Welcome to The Levee Breaks.
Ciar?n - one of the problems is that the republican movement have no credibility having cried wolf so many times in respect of policing. Maybe one or two cases have been fisy - hard to tell as I’m afraid that SF and their various drones cry foul no matter what is done.
As for people being freed without charge - that’s not down to the police.
God knows what shabby under the counter deal has been arranged with SF - “in the public interest” of course
Mr Levee, fair do’s on the moderation front
What actually happened was my comment appeared, then later disappeared again, presumably due to a bad cookie in my IE. When it vanished, I presumed it had been snipped… sorry for jumping the gun, I’m just so used to posting on the UTV site 
Madradin, I see what you’re saying about SF and policing, however there are many people who are questioning the whole Northern Bank affair, not just members of that party. It does concern me that a number of high profile cases, with far-reaching policical ramifications (e.g ‘StormontGate’ etc), have mysteriously collapsed, seemingly without reason. Obviously this is not just a policing issue, or matter for the PSNI, there is some one / thing within the British government who is making these decisions.
The incarceration of people, untold distress to their families, tarnishing of their reputations, is a matter of grave concern… especially when the case is mysteriously wound up after the damage is done.
If Chris Ward did rob the bank (which I severely doubt), then fair do’s, he’ll get what’s coming to him. Conversely, if he wasn’t involved (which would appear to be the case), there is a real danger that he will suffer a great deal, for something which he isn’t guilty of, purely in the interests of dirty politics.
A lot of things lately are just not adding up, and I believe this is an issue which we should all be asking questions about. There needs to be explanations and clarification. People should not be content to just roll over and mindlessly accept these highly suspicious legal U-turns.
It is a matter for us all, not just a case of Sinn Fein and Nationalists Vs the PSNI.
If Chris Ward did rob the bank (which I severely doubt), then fair do?s, he?ll get what?s coming to him.
That I also doubt - I suspect there’s a fair chance that pursuing the case will be deemed as “against the public interest”.
To me “accountable” justice is nobbled justice.
It does concern me that a number of high profile cases, with far-reaching policical ramifications (e.g ?StormontGate? etc), have mysteriously collapsed, seemingly without reason.
I don’t think there’s any mystery. God knows what has been and still is being agreed behind our backs - most obvious illustration was the Weston Park negotiations.
Is it unreasonable for me to suspect that yesterdays developments were part of the sweetener offered SF for the decommissioning? After all Bertie A was prepared to break his word and let people already convicted of manslaughter (!) out of jail.
Lindy McDowell pointed out that the dirty deals done at Weston Park and since over the OTRs deal with an “anomaly” - in which case doubtless it will be pointed out that there’s a new anomaly - Killers who have been OTR won’t have criminal records whereas those who did time have criminal records - what odds that anomaly has already been dealt with in a secret agreement to wipe terrorist’s records ?
I don’t think that the collapse of the StormantGate case is part of any political ’sweetner’ the British government have allegedly done with Sinn Fein.
Regarding that whole subject, I don’t know why people are referring to it as such. What the British have been doing, IMO, is rewarding one gesture with another, in the interests of political progress. Compromise, areement, and all that.
IRA decomission, resolving one of the government’s problems. They respond by solving one of Republicanism’s problems (namely, OTR’s). I believe that Loyalism should receive similar gestures if they can prove they have completed decomissioning too.
Regarding them not having criminal records… Peter Hain said that they would be tried and convicted of their original crimes, then released under licence. This would mean that they could goto prison for even a minor infringement, and AFAIK, also means that they would in fact, have a criminal record.
Speaking of cases ‘not in the public interest’… remember the Castlereagh break in, which the IRA were accused of enacting ?
The charges against people in that case were mysteriously dropped without reason or explanation, (though not before some of them spent a considerable period of time in prison, on remand). Now we have the same happening with StormontGate, that guy Peter Kelly… and maybe Chris Ward a few months down the line. IMO, this has happened too many times to be a coincidence. It does seem that anytime political progress is close, something like this comes out of the wordwork to inflame things.
About 6 months ago, I said to my girlfriend about how mysteriously quiet the whole Northern Bank affair had been lately, and that I was just waiting for it to be wheeled out at some point in the future, when it suited the needs of someone, somewhere. Alas, here it is !
Ciar?n - I was thinking about this the other dy - it took about 6 months after the Gt Train Robbery to reach trial - and there they had a much simpler case with a nice fingerprint to start the ball rolling - I don’t think this has been an unusually slow case to be honest when one considers the circumstances.
Thanks for the civilised discussion about such a difficult issue.
[i]Thanks for the civilised discussion about such a difficult issue.[/i]
Likewise. It’s nice to be able to talk about these issues, without someone going off on one, as often happens with issues like this.
Chris isnt guilty. hes the last person would make a bank robbery. just unlucky person.
i will think about him loads, like i always did.
Keep the spirit high chris xxx
I find it interesting that ppl who know this guy speak so well of him. An anecdote.
I work with someone who like myself is a civils ervant. For years they worked in another part of the NICS where they knew and socialised with young man who was popular and well thought of. One day he didnt turn up for work and was not heard of again unti…his face was spread all over the press as “the baby-faced killer.” He was a leading IRA assassin.
You dont know who youre dealing with folks, no harm to any of you but what would ever have led you to think that this person was other than what they wanted to present to you. Innocent until guilty, yes, but dont be so naive as to think that crooks are not extremely clever.
Jo,
I don’t know Chris Ward. To my knowledge, I’ve never met him or his family in my life. I am merely a fellow resident of West Belfast and Lisburn, and have made my own analysis of this Northern Bank case from what I have observed.
I think there are numerous question marks hanging over this case, and it seems whatever the PSNI are using to hold him, is duboious at best.
Add this to recent developments with the other high profile cases, and it’s not hard to see why suspicion about policing is once again starting to fester within the Nationalist community.
Ciaran:
Undoubtedly there was pressure to have “something” on the record in terms of policing action by the 1st anniversary of the robbery and that in itself adds weight to suspicion.
You will forgive me if I in my own suspicious way see lots of posts regarding the innocence of suspects proliferate in the same ways that I saw posts regarding SF election prospects talked up by heretofore unknown posters and bloggers just before the elections earlier this year.
For my own views on the original raid on Stormont, you can follow my link!
Ciaran: If the Nationalist community is concerned over policing, then perhaps it’s high time they asked their ‘representation’ to get involved and straighten out these issues instead of bitching from the sidelines.
Don’t be fooled by Sinn Fein propaganda. It suits them fine to be ‘outside’ the Policing Boards because they can cry foul every time an accusation is raised against their members.
Who mentioned SF ? I don’t need propaganda, from them or anyone else, to see that theres been some seriously questionable behaviour from the PSNI of late.
Believe it or not, I look forward to a time when Nationalism can embrace the police, and where SF can sit on policing boards. the trouble is, when things like this come out, it destroys any confidence that may have been building.
“when things like this come out, it destroys any confidence that may have been building”
..not really. For a start, from what we hear Catholics have been joining the police in considerable numbers, irrespective.
Its only when there is some controversy about the police that there is the sighing and claims of “if only this hadn’t happened” which, with respect, weren’t matched in the interim by claims as to what a good job the police were doing. I would look a bit beyond the police for motivation and strategy in relation to Stormontgate-type issues.
Well, you’re right in that the issue stretches beyond the police. With StormontGate in particular, there has obviously been some higher up governmental influence in those events.
Ciaran:
Indeed, there has.
Ok as an “unknown blogger” I will clarify a few things…I used to go out with his brother for years until recently and I still have a massive amount of respect and admiration for his family. So I do know Chris well enough to say that he would never do anything like this. For a start his mother is very ill and he would never put his family through such an ordeal willingly. There is no malice or intended manipulation in my posts I just want to tell the truth.
hay, am not saying chris is perfect, but now the question is, why he couldnt be innocent ? im just wondering if people would stop accusing him, jesus, was walking on the streets and all i could hear was, chris is guilty , he robs the bank for the ira, fecking bolloxs,. Its unfair, if you never know anybody, so why not believing in them ? To me chris is innocent, and even if there would a possibility of him being guilty,he would still be my mate.
It lights the dark of this prison cell,
It thunders forth its might,
It is ‘the undauntable thought’, my friend,
That thought that says ‘I’m right!’
Les
Your above reference to serial killers is a bit of a 2 edged sword! A serial killer may indeed be quiet, but they are still a serial killer
Can only strongly agree again with calista and Les. I know Chris on personal level and have also worked with him. I just hope he is granted bail next week so he can ‘try’ enjoy some kind of christmas with his family.
I know Denis Donaldson and his family and there’s no way etc etc …
Sound familiar ?
spoof if you not believe us its alright we never ask anyone to trust us, wer just talking about chris in the way we know him. Sorry if chris is a nice guy, for sure everybody would prefer people talking about him in some bad ways, but sorry, i cant talk bad bout him cauz hes nice guy
Well, I’m glad to see that Chris has been granted bail, so at least he can attempt to have some kind of normal Christmas with his family.
http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=68517&pt=n