A West Belfast man who admits being involved in the brawl that led to the killing of Gerard Devlin has been accepted on to the republican wing at Maghaberry Prison.

Anthony Notarantonio was taken to the jail’s Roe House after being remanded in custody at Belfast Crown Court last week.

The 50-year-old had earlier admitted charges of having unlawfully fought and making an affray.

The Andersonstown News understands that after being transported from court to Maghaberry, Anthony Notarantonio asked to be moved on to the republican wing.

The dissident republican inmates who control Roe 3 and Roe 4 wings accepted his request.

However, the decision to allow him to be held with republican prisoners has caused unrest.

“Some republicans aren’t happy that he’s in Roe House,” a prison source told the Andersonstown News.

“The Gerard Devlin killing had nothing to with the conflict – so why has he been allowed in?”

Anthony Notarantonio is a relative of senior Real IRA man Joseph O’Connor, who was shot dead outside his Ballymurphy home in October 2000.

‘Political prisoners’

Four other relatives were also remanded in custody after admitting taking part in the brawl that led to Mr Devlin’s killing. However, they are being held with regular prisoners. Last week as the Notarantonios were remanded to await sentence in November, some of them shouted from the dock that they were “political prisoners” and had been “stitched up”.

In the days after the Devlin killing both the Continuity and Real IRA issued statements saying the groups had nothing to do with the brutal three-year feud that led to his death.

Real IRA figures also met with members of the Devlin family to assure them they were not under threat from the dissident republican gang.