A Northern Ireland pensioner has offered her £20,000 life savings as a reward in a bid to catch the men who murdered her son.
Mark Christie (36) was attacked with a machete three years ago in Bangor, Co Down by a gang of men believed to be linked to the UDA.
His mother, Rosalie Christie (69), said her son did not deserve to die and said she wanted to secure justice for her family and protect society from the killers.
“Mark died a horrible death and those of us left behind have been unable to get justice for him or move on with our lives,” she said.
Ms Christie’s husband died just months before her son’s murder, and she said the lives of her entire family, including her son’s two children, had been devastated by his killing.
Police said Mark Christie was in a house at Millisle Gardens in Bangor when he was confronted by a number of men who chased him into Owenroe Drive in the Kilcooley estate at around 11.30pm on August 22nd, 2006.
The gang attacked him with a number of weapons, believed to have included a machete.
After the killing a report on paramilitary activity by the Independent Monitoring Commission said the murder had been carried out by people linked to the UDA but did not appear to have been a sanctioned by the organisation.
Ms Christie said she was unaware of her son’s alleged links to the drugs trade and was shocked when it was raised in media reports after his murder.
“I have heard all the stories about Mark and what he was supposed to be involved in,” she said. “When all is said and done, Mark was my son. No-one deserves to die the way he did and the people who did this to him deserve to be put away.”
Since the murder police have carried out 68 searches and have arrested nine people, but no one has been charged in connection with the killing.
Detective Chief Inspector Glenn Wright said of the reward offer: “This is an unusual step and Mrs Christie is taking a very brave stand.
“The individuals who attacked Mark, did so to satisfy their own selfish agenda and nothing else. Nothing could justify this cold-blooded and vicious killing.
PA