09/03/2018

Appeal Against Loyalist Supergrass To Go-Ahead

An appeal against the prison sentence imposed on loyalist super grass Gary Haggarty is to go-ahead.

Last month the Public Prosecution Service said it was appealing his six-and-a-half-year sentence as it was unduly lenient.

However, Haggarty's lawyers reportedly missed a deadline for appeal by 25 minutes.

SDLP Assembly Member John Dallat welcomed the decision by three Court of Appeal judges.

He said: "I sat in Court 13 with the relatives of those who had family members murdered by the notorious UVF death gang headed by Haggarty. Their frustration and pain following the sentencing is indescribably.

"After committing the most heinous crimes, it felt like he was given a 'get-out-of-jail-free card'.

"After speaking with the families of those murdered by Haggarty and his criminal gang, I wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions urging his office to appeal the decision on the grounds that it was horrendously lenient and caused immense hurt to those who lost the most.

"I am pleased that the Court of Appeal will now move to hear the case in spite of a vexatious attempt to have it thrown out."

(CD)

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