14/11/2008

Stone Guilty

The convicted loyalist killer, Michael Stone has been found guilty of attempted murder.

Mr Justice Deeney delivered his judgment today in a non-jury case heard at Belfast Crown Court.

Stone was found guilty of trying to kill Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams at Stormont's Parliament Buildings (pictured here) in November 2006. He was also convicted of six other charges, including possession of weapons and explosive devices. He will be sentenced later.

Stone had denied the charges, claiming the incident was performance art. However, a judge at Belfast Crown Court said this was "wholly unconvincing".

TV film crews at Parliament Buildings to cover developments in the political process captured the moment he was wrestled to the ground by two security guards.

Stone had attempted to enter Stormont during a key debate on Northern Ireland devolution.

He had been jailed for a 1988 gun and grenade attack on the republican funeral at Milltown Cemetery of three IRA members shot dead by the SAS in Gibraltar.

Three men were killed in that attack and Stone also admitted other murders .

In 2000, Stone was released early from a life sentence under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

(BMcC)

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