Pubdate: Sat, 29 Jan 2005
Source: Belfast Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2005 Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/42
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

COUNCILLOR FURIOUS AT 'SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS'

An Antrim councillor, who lost a close relative to the ravages of
drugs, went on the warpath during a council meeting when he was asked
if he himself was 'on drugs'.

Adrian Watson's cousin Gary Cathcart became the first person in
Northern Ireland to die as a result of a heroin overdose when he lost
his battle against addiction in March 1998.

Since then, the UUP man has been a persistent thorn in the side of the
godfathers bankrolling the local drugs trade - so he was "horrified"
when what he called, 'serious allegations' about his private life,
surfaced during an otherwise unremarkable meeting of the Development
Leisure Committee.

Recent weeks have seen a dramatic escalation in the war of words
between Mr Watson and Sinn Fein's Martin McManus, but onlookers were
still shocked when the animosity exploded once again.

Mr McManus was addressing the chamber during a discussion about Nutts
Corner Motor Sports Centre when he reacted angrily to what he
perceived as "persistent cackling" from the unionist benches.

He turned to Mr Watson and asked him: "Are you on drugs?"

The unexpected outburst sparked an equally extraordinary reaction from
the UUP man.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Watson said that Mr McManus' drug comments had
'gone too far'.

"It's no secret that I loathe that man and everything he stands for,"
he fumed.

"Just before last week's meeting, I had actually been speaking to my
cousin Tracy who had lost her brother to heroin.

"We had talked about Gary too and it was quite emotional, so the issue
was very much at the forefront of my mind when this fool accused me of
taking drugs.

"I have never taken drugs in my life - and for him to even suggest it
is grossly offensive."

Mr McManus revealed that the outburst had been "partially born out of
frustration".

"The laughing and tittering that goes on up there every time a member
of Sinn Fein speaks is unreal - it's like being back in the
playground," he said.

"Last week I flipped - and I suppose I brought myself down to his
level.

"Once again he was sitting there laughing and the first thing that
came into my head was 'Is this man on drugs or something'"?

Mr McManus also condemned the UUP man's "exploitation" of his cousin's
tragic death.

"I'm very sorry that he felt he had to drag Gary Cathcart into this,"
the Sinn Fein councillor said.

"I certainly made no reference to him, so I think it's very
distasteful to mention him to score some sort of political point."

Mr Watson accepts that he has laughed at his rival in the
chamber.

"If he's saying that I find his performances amusing, then I suppose
we agree on something," he said. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake