THE family of murdered Co Armagh man, Mr Michael McGoldrick, has said that politicians who have been uttering "fire and brimstone" speeches must bear some of the responsibility for his death.
Mr McGoldrick (31), a Catholic from Ashgrove Crescent, Lurgan, was shot dead in his taxi close to Aghagallon, Co Armagh. He was married with a seven-year-old daughter, Emma. He graduated from Queen's University, Belfast last Friday with a degree in English and politics.
He had been working as a taxi-driver to help pay for his education. He wanted to be a teacher. His wife, Sadie, is expecting their second child in October.
Mr McGoldrick was murdered sometime late on Sunday night or, early yesterday morning after collecting a fare in Lurgan.
In a statement, Mr McGoldrick's family said: "The politicians must bear some responsibility for this because they have been mouthing off too much lately. Fire and brimstone speeches have featured too much in this situation. Their loose talk has cost this young fellow his life.
"It could have been any innocent young lad. We do not want any retaliation. They just shot an innocent fellow doing a night's "work."
Mr McGoldrick was born and reared in Glasgow, where he worked as a psychiatric nurse. His parents are originally from Northern Ireland and he regularly returned on holidays to Lurgan, where he met his wife.
The RUC said it was keeping an open mind on the killing, although it is suspected that dissident loyalist paramilitaries were responsible. Up to last night no one had admitted the murder.
Police want to trace the movements of Mr McGoldrick's car, a light-blue Toyota, registration number PM 8973, between 11.30 p.m on Sunday night and 7 a.m. yesterday morning when he was discovered slumped over the wheel of his vehicle with gunshot wounds to the head. The killing was condemned by politicians in the North. Spokesman for the Progressive Unionist Party and the Ulster Democratic Party, which are respectively linked to the UVF and UDA, said the loyalist paramilitary ceasefires were holding.
A local priest, Father Terry Rafferty, who administered the last rites, said Mr McGoldrick was a devoted family man. "This killing must be condemned as being with no justification whatsoever", he said.
