'SUPERGRASS' TRIAL:ONE OF the 14 loyalist suspects in a so-called supergrass trial couldn't wait to murder former UDA leader Tommy English because he was eager to get back to his base to have a kebab, Belfast Crown Court heard yesterday.
Presiding judge Mr Justice Gillen in the non-jury case also heard from a former UVF man – who has turned state’s or Queen’s evidence against his former associates – about how a UVF gang had considered castrating a man they suspected of child sex abuse.
The case, which could last up to three months, mainly focuses on the murder on Halloween evening in 2000 of Tommy English at his home in Newtownabbey on the outskirts of north Belfast.
He was shot dead during a UVF-UDA feud in which seven people died.
The prosecution is relying heavily on the evidence of two brothers, David and Robert Stewart, both convicted former UVF members, who have turned state’s evidence against the accused.
They agreed to give evidence in return for receiving reduced 3½ year sentences for a number of UVF crimes, including the murder of English.
The younger of the two brothers, Robert Stewart (37), told how the shooting of a UVF victim by the UDA towards the end of October 2000 so angered members of the Mount Vernon UVF gang led by Mark Haddock that they decided to immediately retaliate. “We are going to get a Hair Bear,” said the gang members, Stewart told the court – meaning they were going to target a UDA member. They quickly decided that well-known UDA leader English, who lived close to the Mount Vernon gang in north Belfast, would be the victim.
According to prosecuting lawyer Gordon Kerr QC, when earlier outlining the details of the case, Haddock gave the order, “I want him done – shot dead.” The court heard how nine UVF members in the dock yesterday were implicated in English’s murder.
Neither of the Stewart brothers were directly involved in the actual shooting but were convicted of aiding and abetting his killing.
Robert Stewart said he joined the Tiger’s Bay third battalion of the UVF in 1994 when he was 20, being sworn in by Haddock and others. He said he was tutored by one of the defendants Alexander Wood to say he was joining in order “to shoot Taigs [Catholics]”.
Stewart said he was part of a UVF gang that included Haddock which was lying low in a safe community centre building in north Belfast at the time of the feud.
When a UVF man was shot as part of the feud the gang decided that English should be murdered in reprisal.
Three of a large group in the house “volunteered” to do the actual shooting, Wood, Ronald Bowe and Jason Loughlin, while Darren Moore would drive the killers to the English home. The Stewart brothers and others were deputed to hijack a taxi that Moore used to drive to English’s house.
Stewart indicated that there was no difficulty getting volunteers to carry out the shooting. “They were busting to do it right from the start,” he said. He also recounted how Wood allegedly said he was hungry and “could not wait until it was over so he could get back and get a kebab”.
Stewart said Haddock told the killers to “try to miss the kids” when shooting English. He “had a smirk on his face” when he said this.
Haddock left the safe location about two hours before the attack took place, the court also heard.
Stewart said he went to a pub the evening of the shooting. “Our nerves were just shattered, we went for a pint.”
Mr Kerr said English was shot a number of times shortly after he had set off Halloween fireworks in his front garden to entertain his 9-year-old twin boys and 7-year-old daughter. He was attacked as he was having a cup of coffee in his house. His wife Doreen was injured trying to defend him, he said.
Mr Kerr said that after the first round of shooting Ms English heard one of the gang shouting, “Come on back and finish the bastard”.
Stewart also gave evidence of two so-called punishment attacks involving baseball bats and hammers in which he and other gang members including Haddock were involved.
He said the first victim was beaten because he did something that “was not morally acceptable” to the UVF. He said the attack was “frenzied – too much”. Stewart also told how a suspected child molester was badly beaten.