Court told of Brighton bomb link
Adair murder plot accused ‘met Irishman jailed over hotel attack’
AN Irishman linked to the Brighton bomb attack met with one of the accused in an alleged plot to murder two former high-profile figures in a Loyalist terror group, a court has been told.
Shaun McShane, 62, was jailed for “six or seven years” after the Grand Hotel was blown up, almost killing then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during the 1984 Conservative Party conference, jurors at the High Court in Glasgow heard.
The court was told that Mr McShane was seen by undercover police officers walking and chatting with Antoin Duffy for some time on September 3, 2013 in Glasgow before the two men went into a pub.
Mr Duffy, 39, is one of four men who have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to murder Johnny Adair and Sam McCrory. They were once high-profile figures in the Loyalist organisation the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and its military wing the Ulster Freedom Fighters.
Mr McShane was giving evidence at the trial of Mr Duffy, Martin Hughes, 36, Paul Sands, 31 and John Gorman, 58. The other men also deny the charges.
The jury heard a bugged conversation just minutes before the visit in Mr Duffy’s Glasgow home with his girlfriend Stacey McAllister, who has just telephoned.
The court heard Mr Duffy tell her: “It’s Shaun McShane one of the Brighton bombers. He got six or seven years mind when Thatcher was blown up or nearly blown up.”
Mr McShane, who has lived in Glasgow since the 1990s, said that he came from the same part of Donegal as Mr Duffy and knew his family.
The court heard that in 1986, Mr McShane pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a plot to bomb seaside towns by providing accommodation and telephone messaging help.
He was sentenced to eight years and this was reduced on appeal to six years.
Mr McShane was asked by prosecutor Paul Kearney: “So when Antoin Duffy says you were jailed for six or seven years, is he right?” to which he replied: “I wasn’t involved in the Brighton bombing, so he’s probably wrong. I admitted aiding and abetting.”
Mr Kearney then asked: “Was one of the men involved in this conspiracy to bomb seaside towns called Paddy McGhee?” and he replied: “Not sure.” When asked why he had visited Mr Duffy, he said: “He was having problems with drink. I went up and had a chat with him.”
Under cross-examination by QC Derek Ogg, defending, he was asked: “Were you aware that Antoin Duffy was also addicted to Tramadol, and Mr McShane replied: “I heard that from other people. I could tell he had drinking problems.
“He just seemed to be off his head. He was saying things that didn’t make any sense.”
He added that Mr Duffy’s father, Hugh, who was a friend, had asked him to speak to his son about his drinking.
Mr Duffy and Mr Gorman also deny being part of a plan to murder the governor of Barlinnie jail Derek McGill in a car bomb attack. Craig Convery, 37, Gary Convery, 34, and Gordon Brown, 29, also deny organised crime charges.
The jury also heard from Constable Ben Lord who found DVDs and books about the Troubles during a search of Mr Duffy’s flat on October 23 2013. The trial before judge Lady Scott continues.