A MAN who was investigated after a portrait of a former Belfast Lord Mayor was damaged at a City Hall event will not be prosecuted, the Public Prosecution Service has confirmed.
The painting of the former Democratic Unionist Mayor Lord Browne was damaged during an event at City Hall in October last year. The incident took place during Irish language organisation Glór na Móna’s 20th anniversary dinner.
A Sinn Féin employee who worked for the party at Stormont resigned over the incident.
The PPS said there was no reasonable prospect of conviction, adding “prosecutors can only initiate proceeding based on the evidence that is available and in this case there were significant evidential gaps which undermined the prospects of a conviction”.
A spokesperson for the PSNI said: "The Public Prosecution Service has now considered the evidence in this matter and have directed ‘no prosecution’ as there was no reasonable prospect of conviction for any criminal offence on the evidence available.
"Police have a duty to conduct investigations where there are reasonable grounds to suspect the commission of criminal offences. Police will make relevant enquiries, interview those with information, question suspects and, in consultation with the Public Prosecution Service, either charge a person or submit a file to the PPS in relation to the investigation. This procedure was followed in this case.
“Prosecutorial decisions are made independently by the Public Prosecution Service and it would be inappropriate to comment further other than to reiterate the Police Service's commitment to treat everyone equally before the law."
