A FORMER North Down DUP councillor, Billy Baxter, was jailed for 31/2 years yesterday after being convicted of charges of soliciting and receiving money on behalf of the outlawed loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force.
However, Baxter (61), from Troutbeck Avenue, Bangor, was cleared of a further charge of blackmailing the chief prosecution witness, Robert Armstrong.
In 1993 Armstrong, a Dublin businessman, was setting up a gokart track in Bangor, Co Down, for Formula K Ltd, of which he was operations manager.
A second defendant, William Locke (40), of Silverstream Road, Bangor, who was sentenced to six years in March, 1995, for a series of UVF linked blackmail charges, was jailed for five years.
In evidence Armstrong claimed Locke had been introduced to him by Baxter as "a good man to know", and that later demands for protection money had been made to him by a third person, and threats were made.
He also said that he had spoken to Baxter, who was councillor for the area, about the demands, and that Baxter had taken him to Belfast to see the "head men" about what could be done.
In his judgment, which was reserved a year ago at the conclusion of the month long trial, Judge Patrick Markey said a tape recorded conversation between Armstrong and Baxter in April, 1993, appeared to be cogent evidence that Baxter was a participant in soliciting money from Armstrong.
Baxter had claimed his actions in talking to Armstrong and taking him to see the welfare department of the UVF were innocent and those of a local councillor encouraging a local amenity.
But the judge said the evidence was entirely inconsistent with Baxter's innocent explanation, which he rejected as "implausible and untrue".
At the time of the trial Armstrong was awaiting a deferred sentence after pleading guilty to a series of deception charges involving over £120,000 from clients in a bogus Spanish timeshare operation and property deal. Last month he was given a four year term, suspended for four years after the judge heard he had repaid a large amount of money.