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23/05/2006
Barrett gains release from prison
The man convicted of the 1989 murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane has been released from prison.
Ken Barrett, handed down a life sentence in 2004, after he admitted involvement in the murder of the prominent Belfast solicitor, was told that he could spend at least 22-years in prison.
He was also told that he would not qualify for early release under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, because he was to be held in an English prison. However, this changed in 2005, when he was transferred to Maghaberry Jail in Northern Ireland.
Following a three-day hearing, the Sentence Review Commission decided to release Ken Barrett from Magaberry Prison.
The Commission had to decide if he had a connection to paramilitaries and whether he posed a threat to the general public.
The Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain is reported to have opposed the release.
Solicitor Pat Finucane was shot dead in front of his wife and family, by the UDA in 1989.
The murder was one of the most controversial in the history of the troubles and the family have always maintained that there was police collusion in the solicitor's death.
(SP/KMcA)
Ken Barrett, handed down a life sentence in 2004, after he admitted involvement in the murder of the prominent Belfast solicitor, was told that he could spend at least 22-years in prison.
He was also told that he would not qualify for early release under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, because he was to be held in an English prison. However, this changed in 2005, when he was transferred to Maghaberry Jail in Northern Ireland.
Following a three-day hearing, the Sentence Review Commission decided to release Ken Barrett from Magaberry Prison.
The Commission had to decide if he had a connection to paramilitaries and whether he posed a threat to the general public.
The Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain is reported to have opposed the release.
Solicitor Pat Finucane was shot dead in front of his wife and family, by the UDA in 1989.
The murder was one of the most controversial in the history of the troubles and the family have always maintained that there was police collusion in the solicitor's death.
(SP/KMcA)
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Ken Barrett refused bail on Finucane murder charge
A leading loyalist accused of murdering solicitor Pat Finucane has been refused bail. Ken Barrett, 40, appeared before the High Court in Belfast today charged with killing the Catholic solicitor at his home 14 years ago. Mr Barrett, who was remanded in custody until June 27, has denied the charges put to him.
Ken Barrett refused bail on Finucane murder charge
A leading loyalist accused of murdering solicitor Pat Finucane has been refused bail. Ken Barrett, 40, appeared before the High Court in Belfast today charged with killing the Catholic solicitor at his home 14 years ago. Mr Barrett, who was remanded in custody until June 27, has denied the charges put to him.
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Ford Announces Mistaken Release Of Another Prisoner
The Justice Minister David Ford has admitted another prisoner has been wrongfully released from Maghaberry prison, the fourth in eight months. Mr Ford revealed on Tuesday morning that George Damien MacFerran, 47, was released from custody on Friday, despite still having six weeks left to serve on his sentence for assault with an offensive weapon.
Ford Announces Mistaken Release Of Another Prisoner
The Justice Minister David Ford has admitted another prisoner has been wrongfully released from Maghaberry prison, the fourth in eight months. Mr Ford revealed on Tuesday morning that George Damien MacFerran, 47, was released from custody on Friday, despite still having six weeks left to serve on his sentence for assault with an offensive weapon.
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Staff At Maghaberry Prison Watched As Prisoner Self-Harmed
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Staff At Maghaberry Prison Watched As Prisoner Self-Harmed
Staff at Maghaberry Prison in Lisburn have been criticised after they failed to intervene while a prisoner blinded himself, according to a Prison Ombudsman report. Sean Lynch, 23, was being detained at the prison in June 2014 and inflicted "extreme and shocking" injuries through self-harm over a three day period.
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