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05/06/2009
Derry Solicitor Jailed For Inciting To Murder
A Londonderry solicitor has been jailed for 10 years after pleading guilty to inciting loyalist paramilitaries to murder.
Manmohan 'Johnny' Sandhu, 44, also pleaded guilty to four charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice at Belfast Crown Court, on Friday.
The charges against the lawyer, of Colby Aveue, arose from the attempted murder of taxi driver Jonathan Hillier in Newtownards in August 2005 and the murders of Jameson Lockhart and Andrew Cully.
Mr Lockhart was gunned down in east Belfast during a loyalist feud in July 2005 while Mr Cully was shot dead in March the previous year.
The prosecution said Sandhu phoned an unknown person from Antrim police station and indicated that Hillier "should be taken out".
Police had secretly recorded his interviews with clients suspected of loyalist paramilitary offences in Antrim police station.
During sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Deny told him: "It was a wicked thing to incite men of violence."
He added: "This was all the more so when you were a solicitor. Such conduct must be deserving of a severe sentence."
Sandhu's trial began last month with the solicitor facing a total of six charges - one of incitement to commit murder, two counts of perverting the course of justice, two counts of doing an act to pervert the court of justice and a sixth count of conspiring to pervert the court of justice.
He had initially pleaded guilty to five charges, and the judge agreed that one of the counts of perverting the course of justice should not be proceeded with.
(JM/KMcA)
Manmohan 'Johnny' Sandhu, 44, also pleaded guilty to four charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice at Belfast Crown Court, on Friday.
The charges against the lawyer, of Colby Aveue, arose from the attempted murder of taxi driver Jonathan Hillier in Newtownards in August 2005 and the murders of Jameson Lockhart and Andrew Cully.
Mr Lockhart was gunned down in east Belfast during a loyalist feud in July 2005 while Mr Cully was shot dead in March the previous year.
The prosecution said Sandhu phoned an unknown person from Antrim police station and indicated that Hillier "should be taken out".
Police had secretly recorded his interviews with clients suspected of loyalist paramilitary offences in Antrim police station.
During sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Deny told him: "It was a wicked thing to incite men of violence."
He added: "This was all the more so when you were a solicitor. Such conduct must be deserving of a severe sentence."
Sandhu's trial began last month with the solicitor facing a total of six charges - one of incitement to commit murder, two counts of perverting the course of justice, two counts of doing an act to pervert the court of justice and a sixth count of conspiring to pervert the court of justice.
He had initially pleaded guilty to five charges, and the judge agreed that one of the counts of perverting the course of justice should not be proceeded with.
(JM/KMcA)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:The day will be very windy with strong to gale force westerly winds becoming occasionally severe along the north coast. Sunny spells will be interspersed with scattered showers. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:West to northwest gale force winds, severe along the north coast, will continue overnight. Frequent showers persist, merging into longer periods of rain at times and turning wintry. Minimum temperature 1 °C.
