Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SUPERGRASS CASE CHAOS
Victims vow to fight on for justice No prosecutions of 13 men named by UVF boss Haggarty
VICTIMS of the Mount Vernon UVF expressed their anger at the news yesterday that 13 suspects implicated by Gary Haggarty would not be prosecuted.
Jackie Larkin, whose brother Gerard Brady was murdered by the loyalist gang in 1994, said she was “disgusted”.
She added: “While there is breath in my body I will never give up.
“I will keep on fighting until I get the truth and we can put him to rest.
“For us it is not in the past. For us these murders happened 20 years ago but every day it is our future.”
Kieran Fox, whose father Eamon was killed by the gang, expressed concern no action was being taken against Haggarty’s Special Branch handlers.
He said: “I am totally disappointed in what we have heard.
“What we were after has now been taken away from us. It is hard to stomach.”
Padraig O Muirigh, a lawyer for some of the victims’ families, said the announcement had not come as a surprise.
He added: “They had hoped that this might lead to some positive conclusion, however, that’s been taken away from them.”
The use of the assisting offenders legislation in Northern Ireland has been dogged by controversy.
Five years ago, the trial of 13 alleged loyalists ended with the acquittal of 12 after the judge criticised the evidence provided by supergrasses Ian and Robert Stewart as being “infected with lies”.
YESTERDAY BELFAST
THIRTEEN suspects implicated by the commander of a loyalist murder gang as part of a supergrass witness deal will not be prosecuted.
Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service said yesterday there was insufficient corroborating evidence to support the allegations by UVF boss Gary Haggarty to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction.
Prosecutors are still considering the cases of three remaining suspects named by the long-time police informer, relating to three murders, with decisions expected by the end of the month.
But charges will not now be brought against 11 men Haggarty claimed were part of his notorious North Belfast Mount Vernon terror gang and two former RUC Special Branch officers he alleged were complicit in serious criminality in their role as his handler.
Director of Public Prosecutions Barra Mcgrory said assessing the credibility of an assisting offender was a “complex task”.
In a statement released yesterday he added: “I fully appreciate that this news will be deeply disappointing for the victims in these cases.
“I understand that this will not just be because of the disappointment or anger they may feel about the decisions, but also because today is another day where they will be revisiting the pain of events from many years ago.”
In June, 45-year-old Haggarty pleaded guilty to 202 terror offences, including five murders, in a State deal that will see him receive a significantly reduced jail term when sentenced later this year.
He could even walk free with a fresh identity as he has already served three years in custody on remand.
CHARGES
As well as the five murders, Haggarty, who is currently in protective custody, admitted five attempted murders, including against police officers, 23 counts of conspiracy to murder, directing terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation.
Haggarty was interviewed more than 1,000 times by detectives in one of the biggest and most complex cases ever undertaken in Northern Ireland.
The catalogue of offences stretched over a 16-year period from 1991 to 2007 and included the murders of Eamon Fox, John Harbinson, Sean Mcparland, Gary Convie and Sean Mcdermott. Haggarty provided evidence against other alleged loyalists in relation to the murders of Mr Convie, Mr Fox, Mr Mcparland and Mr Harbinson.
There will be no prosecutions over the murder of Mr Mcparland.
Evidence provided by Haggarty linking one suspect to the murders of Mr Convie and Mr Fox and linking two suspects to Mr Harbinson’s murder are still under consideration by the PPS.
Haggarty’s own lengthy charge sheet also includes aiding and abetting murder, kidnap, possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives, hijacking, false imprisonment, arson, intimidation and conspiracy to riot.