Hundreds attend vigils for Banbridge woman

Hundreds of people have attended vigils held in Banbridge and Newry for County Down woman Karen Cummings, who died after being found injured at the weekend.

Ms Cummings, a children’s nurse, was found unconscious with a serious head injury in Laurel Heights in Banbridge, on Saturday evening. She died at the scene.

Two men, Glenn King, 32, of no fixed address in Lurgan and 42-year-old Kevin McGuigan Jnr of Annacloy Park in Hillsborough appeared at Newry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with her murder.

Earlier on Thursday, Northern Ireland’s attorney general again urged people to be careful about comments posted on social media in relation to active criminal cases.

More than 600 people attended a vigil in Banbridge on Thursday evening.

Banners bearing the names of 25 women killed in Northern Ireland since 2020 were held up.

There were also candles, speeches and a minute’s silence.

Among those who spoke at the event was Noel McNally, whose pregnant daughter Natalie was murdered in Lurgan in December 2022.

Eileen Murphy, chief executive of Women’s Aid Down/Armagh, said the vigil had been organised in response to the local community.

“Our vigil tonight is for all the women who have been murdered this year – seven of them to date and the year’s not over yet,” she said.

She said the large turnout was a “tribute to Karen and her memory that her community, her local community, felt so strongly about her murder”.

“Normally we don’t get as many people turning up to our vigils at all – there was a huge turnout tonight,” she said.

Alliance Cllr Joy Ferguson was also among those attending the vigil.

She spoke to BBC News NI, calling for a “change in society, towards women”.

“The message is that we need to stop violence against women.”

Ferguson added: “We need reform in the justice system, and we need consensual, respectful relationships and for role models to display those in society, we need a wholesale change in society, towards women.”

John O’Dowd, Sinn Féin, said that society must do everything it could to bring such incidents to an end.

He said he wanted to “send out a clear message that violence is wrong, violence against women is wrong and it has to stop”.

“We as a society, as individuals, as legislators, as decision makers, have to do everything within our power to bring this to an end.”

Earlier, Attorney Geneeral Dame Brenda King said that the death of Ms Cummings had “understandably attracted much commentary”.

“The tragedy and emotive nature of such cases cannot be underestimated,” she added.

“However, a member of the public may well be in contempt of court as a result of publication or commentary on social media in relation to active criminal proceedings.”

“As two persons have been arrested and charged in respect of this matter these proceedings are active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981,” the attorney general said.

“The attorney reminds the public that social media posts have the potential to impact jurors who have to decide whether someone is guilty or not of an offence based on evidence properly before them.

“A person can be found in contempt of court if something they publish creates a substantial risk that justice in the criminal proceedings would be seriously impeded or prejudiced, regardless of their intent to do so.”

She said publication, either online or in print, may be contempt of court if it:

• Draws attention to a defendant’s previous convictions or comments on their character.

• Gives a view on facts or evidence that will be considered during the trial.

• Names someone in breach of an injunction or court order.

• Names victims, witnesses, and offenders under the age of 18.

• Names a victim of a sex crime.

• Shares any information about a case that the judge has ordered to be kept private.

• Records and/or shares images, video content, or sound clips from court proceedings.

A sentence of up to two years imprisonment can be imposed if found to be guilty of contempt of court.