Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Church worker ‘silent’ on 15 UVF murders
Wright pal ‘nothing to say’ over claims
A CHURCH outreach worker “may be one of Northern Ireland’s most prolific serial killers still alive today” it was claimed last night.
Alan Oliver told BBC Spotlight’s Mandy Mcauley he had “nothing to say” when she asked him about claims he killed innocent civilians for former UVF Mid Ulster leader and alleged State agent Billy “King Rat” Wright.
Oliver, who attended Portadown Elim Pentecostal, has never been convicted of a single killing along with his late alleged commander.
But tonight’s Spotlight at 9pm will report multiple sources claim he may be responsible for up to 15 murders.
UVF hitman Laurence Maguire spoke for the first time about the terror gang’s operations.
He said: “All intelligence came from Wright. He was getting it all from sources within the police.
“If somebody changed their car, he would have had the new car reg... he would have maybe several addresses for whoever he was looking for.”
Maguire, who was the first person convicted of directing terrorism in 1994, served time after admitting 41 offences and five murders.
He was there the night Co Tyrone pensioners Charlie and Theresa Fox were gunned down in their own home.
He said: “The parents were not the targets.
“It wasn’t our intention to kill them, it was actually Paddy – the son.
“Looking back now I think any member of the family would have done.”
The couple, whose son Paddy had been jailed for having an IRA bomb, are among dozens killed in the early 90s who were not personally involved with republicanism.
Evidence outlined in the programme claimed Mid Ulster UVF were part of a “conscious plan to terrorise the republican movement by targeting their families”.
Gerard and Rory Cairns were just 22 and 18 when they were shot the night of their sister Roisin’s 11th birthday.
She said: “There’s no words for the pain and how harrowing that felt.
“I have Gerard’s birthday card and there’s a bullet hole in it and a few specks of blood and I still have that card.”
The brothers are said to have been targeted because their cousin, law student Sheena Campbell, who was murdered the year before, was involved with Sinn Fein.
Maguire said he was there the night Robin “The Jackal” Jackson and Wright first planned to kill them in October 1992.
He added: “Robin was the main one on that.
“Wright done most of the talking. He was always there.
“The instruction was to kill the three brothers and if there was anybody else in. If they had mates over they probably would have got it too.
“It was more to do with her being related to them.
“It seems like that family was bound to suffer.”
Their father Eamon Cairns believed Wright and Jackson were involved and informed the Police Ombudsman.
But mum Sheila said: “Nothing will ever bring me closure because they will never bring Gerard and Rory back.”