Supergrass who killed 5 to walk free
Terrorist chief admitted over 200 crimes including attacks on police
A LOYALIST paramilitary chief who admitted five murders among more than 200 crimes could be freed within weeks after becoming a supergrass.
Gary Haggarty, 46, was jailed for just six and a half years yesterday despite admitting 202 crimes.
During his 16-year campaign of terror in Northern Ireland, the serial killer admitted five murders, five attempted murders including attacks on police, 23 counts of conspiracy to murder, directing terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation.
But the former Ulster Volunteer Force commander escaped a possible 35-year jail term at Belfast Crown Court yesterday because he agreed to inform on former associates – even though his evidence has only led to one person being charged with murder.
Haggerty has already served 1,186 days on remand, so he could be released halfway through his sentence, in about three months.
Michael Agnew, acting deputy director of the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), said: ‘Such levels of discount can arise in circumstances where criminals provide assistance in relation to serious crime that enables investigations to be pursued and prosecutions to be potentially brought.
‘This is a difficult aspect of the regime, particularly for all victims and their families, but without it convictions for the many offences would not have been achieved.’
Yesterday, the son of one of his victims reacted with fury.
Kieran Fox, whose father Eamon was shot in a UVF murder in May 1994 that was partly organised by Haggarty, who provided the weapon and led the gunman to the scene, said: ‘What is justice in this country? It is just designed to look after the criminal.
‘How can a man convicted of that many crimes be set free? The man is a serial killer, he was a paid state informer, he was allowed to kill at will, police knew he was killing at will and let it continue.’
Mr Justice Adrian Colton said the case was of ‘exceptional gravity’, adding: ‘He has been involved in a terrorist campaign that resulted in deaths for which he was directly responsible.
‘The organisation he supported and assisted has resulted in untold damage to individual lives and society as a whole.’ However he said the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act allowed Haggerty’s sentence to be heavily discounted in exchange for information.
In 1,015 police interviews after become a state witness in 2009, he gave details of 55 loyalist murders and 20 attempted murders.
The judge said: ‘The defendant has placed himself at considerable risk which will have a significant impact for the rest of his life.’
But most of the people he named will not face prosecution because of a lack of supporting evidence.
His victims include John Harbinson, who was beaten to death with a hammer by a UVF gang in North Belfast in May 1997.
Catholic Sean McParland was shot dead in front of children in 1994 by Haggarty, who volunteered to be the lead gunman to dispel UVF suspicions about informers. Sean McDermott, a 37-year-old Catholic, was also shot dead in his car near Antrim in August 1994.
Catholic workmen Mr Fox, 44, a father of six, and Gary Convie, 24, a father of one, were shot dead as they had lunch in a car in Belfast.
Mr Harbinson’s son Aaron and Mr Convie’s father Joe wept outside court yesterday.
Haggarty, who is in protective custody, lived at a secret address in England after offering to give evidence. As a former UVF commander for north Belfast and south east Antrim, he’s the most senior loyalist to turn supergrass.
He has offered to give evidence against former police officers he claims colluded with terrorists.
‘Untold damage to individual lives’