THE JUDGE in Belfast’s UVF supergrass trial yesterday threatened to have top loyalist Mark Haddock thrown out of court after he shouted four-lettered abuse at informer Robert Stewart who is testifying against him and 13 other terrorist suspects.
After 37-year-old Stewart started to repeat the reasons why there were discrepancies in his evidence, Haddock shouted “For f*** sake, change the record” Mr Justice Gillen immediately warned Haddock he would have him removed from Belfast Crown Court.
He said he wouldn’t tolerate any more interruptions and added: “If you speak out of turn again, you will be held outside the court.” It was the first interjection by Haddock who along with nine of the accused is charged with murdering UDA leader Tommy English at his home in the Ballyduff estate, Newtownabbey, during a loyalist feud in 2000.
Robert Stewart and his brother Ian have already served reduced sentences after admitting their roles in the murder and agreeing to testify against the other men they say were involved in the shooting. Stewart yesterday insisted he wasn’t lying. He told a defence lawyer Mr Frank O’Donoghue QC that Mark Haddock the UVF commander in the Mount Vernon area of Belfast had ordered the killing of Tommy English.
“I will stand here for months and say that. I am telling the truth. Your client isn’t,” he added. “I have explained it a hundred times – Mark Haddock was in overall command and every order came from him. I am not picking his name out of a hat. He wanted Tommy English dead.”
He said that he and Haddock had gone to Mr English’s house on a scouting mission just before the killing. “I am suggesting to you that Mark Haddock was not on it,” said Mr O’Donoghue “Oh. . .it was Mary Poppins who was on it then,” replied Stewart who at one point talked about his relationship with an ex-girlfriend who was a sister of one of the accused, David Hinds.
“I had a bit of trouble keeping it in my trousers” said Stewart.
“What do you mean?” asked Haddock’s lawyer.
“I went with other girls as well as Leanne McCrum,” replied Stewart.
After another exchange Stewart said “I am telling you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but.”
And he told Mr O’Donoghue “You haven’t got a case. You are just trying to pick holes. I am giving as true an account as I can remember but you are twisting it around and around and around.” Stewart went on: “I haven’t changed any story. Things have just got clearer to me.” He also denied that the police had told him what to say.
Earlier yesterday Stewart denied he was the gunman who shot rival UDA chief Tommy English. Stewart told Mr O’Donoghue that despite him highlighting numerous differences in his accounts to police, “as I said it looks to me like you are clutching at straws and you have nothing”.
The trial continues.