Member's statement: Jaidyn Rice
Member's statement by Mr Peter Martin on .
- MLA
- Mr Peter Martin
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 23 September 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Jaidyn Rice
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5129149
Read the official Assembly record
Text
During recess, on 8 July, Jaidyn Rice, a 16-year-old girl, was killed on the West Circular Road in Bangor. Jaidyn had just finished her GCSEs and was looking forward to going back to school to complete her A levels. She was an active member of the army cadets, where she excelled in first aid, and was considering a future in the army or community work. She was also an active youth leader with the development, integration, citizenship, education (DICE) futures project in Bangor, where she helped young girls and boys from the local area. I know that all those involved in the DICE futures project and the wider North Down Community Network are still very much coming to terms with her loss. Her mum, Elaine, described her daughter very tenderly:
"There will never be anyone with a heart as big as yours. ... You have half of my heart with you – please hold tight to it princess, and know that I am with you always."
Her brother described her as "brave and amazing" and said:
"like glitter, she always shined hope and happiness into everybody who met her."
A man has been charged with causing death through dangerous driving, causing death whilst driving without a licence and causing death whilst driving without insurance. Few of us in the Chamber, I hope, will ever know the pain that that family has gone through in losing a child. My thoughts remain with them at this time. It is now up to others to honour her legacy and remember her through our actions. The astounding facts are that the accused in Jaidyn's case was already on bail for other driving offences. He did not even have a licence, but he took a car, and police believe that they can connect him to the circumstances of the night of 8 July. I wrote to the Alliance Justice Minister recently about Jaidyn's case, specifically regarding the man charged being released on bail, which was very hurtful for the families. I was incredulous in trying to understand that. It is therefore very disappointing that Minister Long replied to me that she has no plans to include new guidance on the granting of bail in her sentencing Bill. I believe that to be a significant missed opportunity to provide Jaidyn's family with a positive, legal legacy from the tragic circumstances of her death. It is, unfortunately, an opportunity that the Justice Minister will not take.
409 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.72).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.72 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.45 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.40 |
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.05 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.05 |
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.04 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:10 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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