Ex-UVF commander Gary Haggarty pleads guilty to 200 terror charges
Written by News on 24/06/2017
Former loyalist paramilitary commander Gary Haggarty has pleaded guilty to 200 terrorist offences, including five murders.
The ex-chief of the Ulster Volunteer Force’s north Belfast unit admitted the crimes as part of a deal to give evidence against fellow terrorists.
As well as five murders, the 45-year-old admitted five attempted murders, including against police officers.
He also pleaded guilty to 23 counts of conspiracy to murder, directing terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation.
Haggarty, who worked as a police informant during the Troubles, was interviewed more than 1,000 times by detectives and 23,000 pages of transcripts were presented in evidence.
His offences from 1991 to 2007 included the loyalist murders of John Harbinson, Sean McParland, Gary Convie, Eamon Fox and Sean McDermott.
The charge sheet also included aiding and abetting murder, kidnap, possession of explosives, hijacking, false imprisonment, arson, intimidation and conspiracy to riot.
Haggarty, who is believed to be living at a secret location outside Northern Ireland, is expected to receive a reduced sentence in exchange for his co-operation with the authorities.
He may even walk free after his sentence hearing in September as he has already served three years in custody, the equivalent of a six-year sentence.
Following the hearing at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Fox’s son Ciaran said it was "hard sitting in a courtroom watching a guy admitting to murdering your father".
Describing Haggarty as "just a hitman", Mr Fox said: "His hands are deep in blood along with people he’s going to expose and because of who he’s going to expose I think it’s not going to finish."
Detective Superintendent Richard Campbell said the guilty pleas marked a "milestone" for the victims and their families.
(c) Sky News 2017: Ex-UVF commander Gary Haggarty pleads guilty to 200 terror charges
