The leader of the Real IRA today made a fresh appeal against his conviction for directing terrorism by claiming the key witness in his trial lacked credibility.
Michael McKevitt was sentenced to 20 years in prison in August 2003 after FBI agent David Rupert infiltrated the organisation.
The dissident republican's lawyers told the Supreme Court that Rupert was a lifelong criminal, weapons dealer, fraudster and drugs smuggler willing to do anything for money.
Michael McKevitt leaving the Supreme Court today. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire
They claimed the former truck driver from New York became an agent for the US intelligence outfit in 1974 and again in 1992 when he was facing a prosecution for fraud.
"He was the lynchpin of the case," Hugh Hartnett, McKevitt's senior counsel, told the court. "There was the coincidence of his being signed up by the FBI at the time he was being investigated for fraud. We were curious as to whether a deal had been done."
Mr Hartnett listed a series of criminal enterprises Rupert was suspected of involvement in.
McKevitt (55), of Beech Park, Blackrock, Co Louth, was convicted of directing terrorism between August 29th 1999, and October 23rd, 2000.
He is the only person to be convicted of the offence, brought in after the Real IRA bomb attack on Omagh in 1998 that killed 29 people.
McKevitt was also given a six-year concurrent sentence for Real IRA membership.
McKevitt lost an appeal in December 2005 against his conviction for directing terrorism. The three-judge court ruled the Special Criminal Court was entitled to conclude that Rupert was credible.
It also found the complaints about the disclosure of evidence during the trial were properly dealt with.
The Supreme Court hearing is expected to last three days, and the judgment is likely to be reserved.
PA