Thomas Mellon Mellon is understood to have pushed for the Easter Monday wreath-laying ceremony taking place, demanding a show of unity ahead of the second anniversary of the New IRA murder of journalist Lyra McKee. He had previously accused the gang's leaders outside of Derry of turning him into a scapegoat for the killing, and offering no support. The recent charging of Mellon's second-in-command Kieran McCool (52) with bombmaking has also led to his insistence that the wreath-laying take place. "Tommy sees this as a way of putting on a show of unity after a number of serious setbacks," explained a republican source.