An expert on performance art is to help defend a loyalist killer who raided the Northern Ireland Assembly allegedly carrying explosives and a knife.
A barrister for Stone (53) said he was awaiting the academic study ahead of this month’s five-week trial at Belfast Crown Court.
The former Ulster Defence Association gunman faces 14 charges including trying to kill Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness in November 2006.
Defence lawyer Charles McCreanor said: “Experts have been engaged, they believe that they can provide a report of an academic nature.” Stone is charged with possessing home-made explosives and a real or imitation gun with intent.
He was also accused of carrying a garrotte, three knives and an axe and assaulting staff members who trapped him in the revolving entrance door at Stormont.
In 1988 the defendant killed three mourners at a republican funeral in west Belfast for the SAS’s IRA victims in Gibraltar. He also hurled grenades into the crowd of 10,000 people.
In December 2006 his lawyer told Belfast High Court that he didn’t intend to endanger anybody’s life and the explosives were not viable.
He insisted the attack, which forced the evacuation of parliament buildings near Belfast, was performance art.
His trial is expected to start later this month.
PA