Three men to face trial accused of UDA feud murder in Carrickfergus

THREE men are to stand trial later this year accused of the UDA feud murder of Geordie Gilmore.

At Belfast Crown Court yesterday a third defendant was arraigned on four charges over Mr Gilmore’s murder last year.

Robert Darren McMaw (33), of Kilgreel Road, Antrim, pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Gilmore on March 14, 2017 in Carrickfergus.

He further denied charges of possessing a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life and the attempted murders of Steven Boyd and Kelvin Graham on March 13, 2017.

Mr Justice Colton granted a prosecution application to have McMaw joined to the case of his younger brother and another defendant.

Samuel David McMaw (29), of Starbog Road, Kilwaughter, Larne, and Brian Roy McClean (35), of the Birches, Carrickfergus, have also pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

The judge set the trial date for November 26, 2018. The non-jury trial is expected to last three weeks.

Mr Gilmore (44) was shot dead as he travelled along Pinewood Avenue in Carrickfergus in

Shot dead: Geordie Gilmore

his white Vauxhall Insignia car. It is the prosecution case that he was lured to his death with a gunman shooting him in the neck at close range.

During an unsuccessful bail application by Brian Roy McLean last December, prosecution lawyer Sam Magee said that it was Crown case that the defendant “was standing in the vicinity of the gunman at the time of the shooting of Geordie Gilmore took place”.

“He is known as ‘Scotch Brian’ and he was in the company of the gunman, who we say was Samuel David McMaw, when the shots were fired.”

The prosecution lawyer said detectives had gathered further statements from other witnesses “to confirm he (McLean) is the man known as Scotch Brian”. He added: “We say that Robert McMaw was the “scout” who followed Mr Gilmore who was in a convoy of cars as he made his way back to Carrickfergus from Laganside courts that day.

“He was in contact with the man standing beside his brother Samuel David McMaw.

“This answers the question as to how it came to be known that Mr Gilmore and his party would be travelling that road at that particular time.”

The prosecution counsel told the court that there was an ongoing feud within the south east Antrim UDA which had cost the PSNI over £5m.