Judge to give verdict on `IRA spy'

A 26-year-old teacher who faces conviction by a Belfast court for spying for the IRA was yesterday sent back to her Co Donegal…

A 26-year-old teacher who faces conviction by a Belfast court for spying for the IRA was yesterday sent back to her Co Donegal home for the weekend. Lord Justice Nicholson told Ms Rose Marie McLaughlin that he will decide on her case on Monday.

Lord Justice Nicholson freed her on weekend bail on condition she stay with her parents at their Letterkenny home.

The Queen's University graduate, who was brought up in Letterkenny, faces conviction for spying on the former Special Branch head and RUC Assistant Chief Constable Trevor Forbes and on Bangor RUC station. Earlier yesterday her claims that she invented her confessions of being a northern command member of the IRA and spying for them while living in a flat at Abbey Court were rejected by Lord Justice Nicholson.

Following her arrest at her flat on November 19th, 1996, Ms McLaughlin was interviewed for eight days. On November 24th she began telling police of her IRA membership and of agreeing to move to the Co Down seaside town to spy for the organisation.

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Lord Justice Nicholson said he would hear pleas of mitigation on Monday after announcing his verdict on the two charges of IRA membership, one of plotting to collect information and two of spying on Mr Forbes and Bangor RUC station, which she faces.