Bloody Sunday: Victim’s brother criticises ‘death threat’ sentence

The brother of one of the people killed on Bloody Sunday has criticised the sentence handed to a man who made threats against his family on social media.

Dean Portis, 42, from Olive Street, Belfast, sent social media posts to three brothers of William McKinney in September and October last year during the Soldier F trial.

On Wednesday, Portis was jailed for three months after earlier this year being convicted of two counts of improper use of a public communications network to send a message of a menacing character.

That jail sentence, William McKinney’s brother Mickey said, does not reflect the severity of the “death threat” made against him and his brothers.

“This guy wasn’t dealt the hand he should have been dealt,” McKinney told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme.

“He threatened to kill, he should have got a more severe sentence,” he said, adding he felt the case against Portis had been “played down”.

“This guy made a threat to kill us and he was sentenced on being found guilty of the misuse of social media,” McKinney said.

BBC News NI has contacted the office of the Lady Chief Justice and the Public Prosecution Service for comment.