SAOIRSE32

BreakingNews.ie

30/10/2005 - 17:20:27

The feud between rival loyalist paramilitary groups in the North, which has claimed the lives of five men, is finally over, according to a statement released today by the Loyalist Commission.

In a statement, the commission said it believed the feud between the LVF and the UVF had permanently ended.

The group, which includes politicians, churchmen and paramilitaries, said it had been holding mediation talks for some time to resolve the dispute.

Orlando Sentinel

Catholic and Protestant teens from the North of Ireland meet in neutral territory: Orlando

Sandra Mathers
Sentinel Staff Writer

October 30, 2005

Put 10 teens from strife-torn Northern Ireland on a plane to America — minus the school uniforms identifying them as Catholics or Protestants — and what do you get?

Hopefully, instant friends in neutral territory.

At least, that’s the premise behind Friends Forever, a New Hampshire-based nonprofit that sponsors trips to the United States for children of both faiths in Northern Ireland, as well as Arab and Israeli children from Jerusalem.

The object of the trips, which are also sponsored by Rotary International, is to cultivate peace between “cultures in conflict.”

The peace premise was definitely working Saturday, as 10 youths, ages 15 and 16, from Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, clustered around a picnic table at a resort in the Disney area to sound off on Florida and the purpose of their trip.

They had arrived strangers a week ago for a two-week, multicultural stay that includes trips to Catholic and Protestant churches, a Hindu temple, a synagogue, an African-American social agency, Orlando City Hall and, of course, Epcot, Universal and Wet ‘n Wild.

Now they are traveling buddies. The picnic-table conversation wasn’t just interesting, it was eye-opening.

Orlando? “Lovely!”

American culture? “Everything is bigger in America — the cars, the roads, the trees,” Christine Smith said as the group nodded in agreement. Even the fast food, added Kevin Stewart, a new fan of Wendy’s restaurants.

“Everything’s cheaper here,” Pete Johnson said. He was talking about American clothes and gasoline. Back home, gas is $7 a gallon. There are almost no sport utility vehicles back home.

And Northern Ireland?

The country is segregated, with Catholics living here, Protestants living there, the teens said. Although the violence between Catholics and Protestants has lessened in recent years, an undercurrent of animosity and distrust continues, they said.

“It’s absolute nonsense what goes on back home,” said Tori Cleland, who attends a Protestant school.

Christine rides a bus 12 miles to attend a Catholic school in Belfast. In Carrickfergus, only 4 percent of the 39,000 residents are Catholic. There is only one Catholic church and no Catholic schools.

“My [school] friends won’t visit me in Carrickfergus” because it’s Protestant, she said.

And at Kathryn Howie’s Protestant school, many students refused to apply for the trip to Orlando “if they had to go with Catholics,” she said.

These teens have no memories of the bitter street battles between Catholics and Protestants, sparked by the infamous Bloody Sunday on Jan. 30, 1972.

They weren’t yet born when Catholics, marching for their civil rights, were fired upon by British Army soldiers in Derry.

Thirteen Catholic civilians were killed that Sunday, giving rise to the Irish Republican Army campaigns of the ’70s and ’80s in the north of Ireland and in Britain.

Religious skirmishes, sparked by Protestant Britain’s push to keep Northern Ireland in the Commonwealth and the Catholic Republic of Ireland’s desire to unite their island homeland, became something you grow up with.

These children are living that legacy.

Christine’s uncle was killed by a terrorist bomb in 1983. Tori’s grandmother lost an eye at a dance hall bombing in the 1970s. Kevin Stewart’s father was hospitalized for a severe beating he suffered as he walked through a Protestant neighborhood as a boy.

And the violence continues. A month ago, Protestant Orangemen were prevented from staging a march in Belfast, so their paramilitary groups closed highways and forced travelers, Catholics and Protestants alike, from their cars, which were burned, Tori said.

“People couldn’t get home,” she said. “We were afraid in our own homes that night. It [the fighting] lasted three days.”

In America, the teens said, there are no religious barriers.

“You couldn’t have the discussions at home we’re having here,” Tori said. “We can ask each other questions.”

That isn’t done in Northern Ireland, any more than a Protestant would patronize a Catholic store there and vice versa,” said Marshall Bradstreet of Boston, the group’s American chaperone.

“People ask me if these tours work,” said Bradstreet, who has led Friends Forever tours for eight years. “It’s so rewarding. All of my groups still get together.

“They attended each other’s weddings, and now they’re raising their kids together.”

Sandra Mathers can be reached at smathers@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5507.

BreakingNews.ie

30/10/2005 - 15:25:27

High-powered attempts are being made to highlight the plight of the undocumented Irish living in the US.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern will be meeting emigrant organisations in New York and Boston this week to discuss measures which would grant legal residence status to the illegal Irish living there.

Separately, Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny leaves for New York today for a series of meetings with emigrant bodies in New York.

The visits come at a critical time with legislative debate on the issue entering an important phase.

Minister Ahern said today that US President George Bush is sympathetic towards the Irish situation, but has to consider the situation as a whole.

There are estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the US, mostly Mexican. Only 25,000 to 30,000 of them are thought to be Irish.

Sunday Life

30 October 2005

A JAILED paramilitary boss is facing a loss of privileges after being caught bang to rights on his mobile phone.

His was one of nine illicit mobile handsets seized in recent searches at Maghaberry Prison.

The presence of such handsets has long fuelled fears that gangsters are running criminal empires from behind the bars of their cells.

Visitors are banned from carrying mobiles into the prison, but searches often turn up more phones - and phone parts - than drugs.

Inmates are allowed to use landline phones - but all calls are monitored.

“In general, only the top guys have mobiles,” said one recently released inmate. “They text or email contacts on the outside and anyone they are in touch with is warned never to ring back.

“But quite a few have been caught in the past few months, including one UDA bigwig who seemed lost in a text conversation during a workshop.”

One warder told us: “It’s not like Johnny Adair’s day when he was virtually able to conduct press conferences from his cell.

“Mobiles have long been banned and any prisoner caught with one automatically loses their privileges.

“But the problem is that for every phone we find, there could be a couple of others hidden away.

“Inmates are also often alerted to searches by coded text messages.”

BBC

Martin McGuinness has welcomed moves to deal with ‘on the runs’

Plans to allow so-called “on the runs” to return home have been welcomed by Sinn Fein MP Martin McGuinness.

The government has announced its intention to introduce laws to deal with people suspected of terrorism who have not been brought to court.

Speaking on the BBC’s Politics Show, Mr McGuinness said the legislation would only affect a small number of people.

“The British government has clearly flagged up its intention to do that… and that’s a good thing,” he said.

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said in the Commons last Wednesday that the legislation was likely to be brought before parliament early in November.

Responding to questions at the NI Affairs Committee from the DUP’s Gregory Campbell, Mr Hain said: “They (police) have a number of suspects for crimes - I readily concede crimes that in some cases were horrific crimes, but it goes into dozens at any rate.”

Real concerns

He said further suspects, who may still be in the province, could be “unearthed” by new police inquiries into “historic crimes”.

Mr Hain said sometimes undesirable things had to be done in the interests of conflict resolution.

He said he understood the real concerns of the people of Northern Ireland on this issue.

The legislation will deal with people suspected of terrorism who have not been brought to court and those who have fled prison.

Sinn Fein has repeatedly pressed for them to be able to return to Northern Ireland.

Asked when the legislation would be brought forward by the chair of the committee Sir Patrick Cormack, Mr Hain said he was not certain of the date but it would be before Christmas and probably early next month.

Sunday Life

Nobel peace prize winner in secret Ulster visit

Exclusive by Stephen Breen
30 October 2005

Desmond Tutu - photo and biography >>here

NOBEL peace prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu paid a secret visit to Ulster last week, to link up with graveyard killer Michael Stone.

The close friend of former South African President Nelson Mandela met with the former UFF hitman and the family of one of Stone’s victim’s in the Ards peninsular, last Monday.

The victim’s families are not related to any of the three men murdered by Stone at Milltown cemetery, in 1988.

Archbishop Tutu made the trip, after he was asked by the BBC to chair a meeting between the perpetrators of violence during the Troubles’, and their victims’ relatives.

He was asked to participate because of his experience as chairman of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, during the late 1990s.

The veteran anti-apartheid campaigner visited Northern Ireland after spending time in the Irish Republic.

The peace activist is believed to have left the province yesterday.

Said Stone: “I can confirm I met Archbishop Desmond Tutu last week. He is extremely intelligent and is also a gentleman.

“I met him after agreeing to participate in a programme, which will focus on first ever meetings between victims of violence and those who murdered their loved ones.

“I am not prepared to identify the victim’s family, but the meeting was a very worthwhile exercise. We spent the whole day talking with the Archbishop.

“The Archbishop was able to put his experience of working at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to good use.

“I don’t know what the family got out of meeting me, but it must have been very hard for them. People will make their own minds up in January.”

We were unable to get a comment from the Archbishop’s Peace Centre in Cape Town.

The BBC production focuses on first ever meetings between victims’ families, and the men responsible for killing their loved ones.

It is set to be screened in January and will feature Stone, a former IRA man, a police officer and a soldier.

This is the second time the Milltown murderer has met the family of loved ones murdered by loyalist terrorists.

We revealed in August how the killer-turned-artist met Joan Feenan, after she challenged him in Sunday Life to a meeting to discuss the murders of Kathleen and Terence Mullan.

Sunday Life

By Alan Murray
30 October 2005

THE PSNI spent a staggering £4.6m hiring ex-RUC officers and other specialists to help solve crime last year.

More than 200 former RUC officers have been regularly engaged by the PSNI to assist crime investigations and review cases since November 2001, Sunday Life has learned.

Of the 2,816 officers who left the RUC and the PSNI through the downsizing programme, around 225 (8pc), have been hired to carry out tasks for the police.

The revelation is contained in a letter to the DUP’s Sammy Wilson from Joe Stewart, the PSNI’s Director of Human Resources.

Mr Wilson, a member of the Policing Board, said he was astonished at the cost of hiring former RUC officers and other specialist personnel.

“If they needed these skills why did they ever get rid of the officers who can provide them in the first place,” said the East Antrim MLA.

“This was just part of the Patten madness which was more intent on cleaning out officers with an RUC background, than delivering effective policing.

“Now the police are left with a huge bill to employ former officers at high fees, to achieve those skills which vast amounts of taxpayers’ money was used to get rid of.

“What a waste of cash and resources,” said the DUP man.

“I wonder what the total cost would be since November 2001 - it could be nearly £20m.

“How many full-time police officers could the Chief Constable have employed for that?” he asked.

In his letter to Mr Wilson, dated October 6, Mr Stewart revealed that during the financial year 2004/05 “we incurred total costs of £4.6m for the assignment of Agency workers to the PSNI”.

Mr Stewart’s stated that the details were presented by the Deputy Chief Constable, Paul Leighton, in July this year, and given to the Human Resources Committee.

He said Mr Leighton stated that 8pc of former officers had been engaged, via the Grafton recruitment agency, as at July 2005.

Sunday Life had asked the PSNI to provide figures under the Freedom of Information Act three months ago.

But the force said it was unable to provide an accurate breakdown of how many former RUC officers had been engaged to assist in the processing or completion of investigations, or the cost during the last financial year.

In a letter dated September 16, Michael Ross, the PSNI’s Corporate Information Manager, said: “The PSNI does not hold the information requested, as our financial system does not break the costs down to this level.”

Sunday Life

Exclusive by Stephen Breen
30 October 2005

COPS are set to offer a £10,000 reward for information on the brutal UVF murders of two teenagers.

A senior security source told Sunday Life, police will offer the cash as part of a new probe into the killings of Portadown lads, Andrew Robb and David McIlwaine.

An announcement on the reward is expected to be made next month.

Andrew (18), and David (19), were butchered in a frenzied knife attack by a UVF gang, on February 20, 2000.

Their mutilated bodies were discovered in a country lane, outside Tandragee.

And a fresh appeal for information on the horrific murders will be made by police on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme, on Wednesday.

Police want to speak to an individual, who was in a phone box and drivers who may have been in the area at the time of the murders.

Andrew’s mum, Ann Robb, last night welcomed the new police investigation into the killings.

Said Mrs Robb: “The new police investigation into my son’s and David’s murder is a long time coming, but I’m pleased it’s happening.

“Hopefully, the police investigation will get somewhere, and it would be great if we could get justice at the end of it.

“It’s my understanding that the announcement on the reward will be made after the Crimewatch programme, and we hope it might persuade people to come forward.

“There is quite a few people who know what happened to Andrew and David, and we will never give up our campaign for justice.

“After five years, it is still not any easier for us to get over losing Andrew in the way we did.”

Added a police spokeswoman: “A new investigation team has been appointed, and the inquiry in relation to the killings remains very active.”

No one has ever been convicted of the double-murder. One man charged in 2000 was later released, after the DPP decided evidence was not strong enough to pursue a case.

Daily Ireland

**I am re-posting this here as it was not making a permanent link before

Ombudsman’s investigations into double murder published in the New Year

Ciarán Barnes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gerard and Rory Cairns - original photos from Relatives for Justice

*Click >>here at
the Relatives for Justice site to download the document ‘An account of the murders of Gerard and Rory Cairns - by the Cairns family’

The Police Ombudsman’s report into allegations of collusion surrounding the loyalist murder of two young Co Armagh brothers is to be published in the New Year, Daily Ireland has learned.
Gerard and Rory Cairns were shot dead by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) at their home in the village of Bleary on October 28, 1993. Today marks the 12th anniversary of their deaths.
The UVF gang involved in the Cairns’ killings included two high-level informers – Robin ‘The Jackal’ Jackson and Billy ‘King Rat’ Wright.
The guns used in the attack were brought into the North in 1988 from South Africa by Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and British army agent Brian Nelson. Nelson’s handlers had full knowledge of the weapons importation, but did nothing to prevent it reaching these shores.
In the moments before the Cairns’ killing, the police set up a series of roadblocks near their isolated home. Gerard and Rory’s killers were able to pass through these roadblocks unchecked.
It is these major breaches of policing duty which the ombudsman is probing. Investigators have been looking at the Cairns’ case for almost a year. It was previously raised by human rights organisations Relatives for Justice and An Fhírinne.
The dead men’s father, Eamonn Cairns, said meetings with the Ombudsman have been productive.
“The full report on the collusion aspect of my sons’ murders will be completed next year,” he said.
“The Ombudsman is about three-quarters of the way through the case.
“The family is hopeful the report will prove conclusively that the RUC and British army could have, but failed to, prevent my sons being murdered.”
The pain of Rory and Gerard’s murders has never left the Cairns family.
Their younger brother Liam Cairns, says that in the 12 years since, the family still do not know the true circumstances surrounding the killings.
He said: “What we do know is there was no investigation at any time, so we have came to the conclusion there was state sponsored collusion between the security forces and loyalist death squads. We as a family are stronger than ever. What makes us strong is our determination to seek out the truth.”
Mr Cairns said those responsible for killing his brothers had failed to silence his family. He added: “It is for this very reason that we want to seek out the truth.”
“We will never give up because it is only then that we can have some comfort from our loss.”

Sunday Life

By Joe Oliver
30 October 2005

POLICE files held by a former top cop who led the Arlene Arkinson murder inquiry have been ‘retrieved’ by investigators from the Police Ombudsman’s office, it was revealed yesterday.

They also intend to interview retired RUC Chief Superintendent Eric Anderson as part of their investigation into the police handling of the controversial case.

Mr Anderson, who quit the force four years ago, was secretly filmed during a UTV Insight documentary saying he held onto files from the 1994 inquiry. He said they were with his legal advisor - and asked for £700 to discuss the tragic teenager’s case.

Following the first screening of the show two weeks ago, police made it clear that all documents generated in the course of an investigation were the property of the Chief Constable and not any individual officer.

Mr Anderson, who also headed the Omagh bomb probe, could not be contacted yesterday.

The Police Ombudsman’s office launched an inquiry following a complaint by Arlene’s sister, Kathleen.

Serial sex beast Robert Howard (61) was cleared of Arlene’s abduction and murder last June - but the Belfast jury was not told of his sickening history of sex crimes, including the murder of English schoolgirl Hannah Williams in 2002.

Arlene (15) disappeared in 1994 after a night out in Co Donegal and was last seen in the company of Howard. Her body has never been found.

The Arkinson family recently demanded a public inquiry into the events surrounding Arlene’s murder, but Secretary of State Peter Hain said such a decision could not be taken until the conclusion of any investigation by the Police Ombudsman or PSNI.

Sunday Life

By Alan Murray
30 October 2005

THE bloody feud between the UVF and the LVF is over.

Loyalist sources confirmed yesterday that issues which have prevented a truce being declared over the last fortnight have been “nailed down”.

Members of both terrorist groups are being informed this weekend.

A formal announcement could come today signalling the end of the feud, which has flared sporadically since the creation of the LVF by expelled Portadown UVF man, Billy Wright, in 1996.

Yesterday, PUP leader David Ervine gave an indication that work on an agreement to end the feud was at an advanced stage.

The most recent spate of feud-related murders began in July, when UVF gunmen shot dead builder Jameson Lockhart at Templemore Avenue, east Belfast.

Three more Protestants were killed by the UVF, ending in the murder of father-of-three Michael Green in Sandy Row on August 15.

None of the four victims was regarded by police as LVF members although one, Mr Lockhart, was a close personal friend of two leading LVF figures.

When the feud was raging in July and August, the larger UVF demanded the total disbandment of the LVF as part of any deal.

There is likely to be speculation again that the LVF will now formally disband and perhaps decommission its weapons through General John de Chastelain’s Independent International Commission for Decommissioning.

The issue of LVF disbandment is highly sensitive and yesterday senior figures in the group declined to be drawn on the organisation’s future.

But if the LVF does disband it will increase pressure on the UVF to follow suit, or at least greatly scale down its organisation.

“There is talk that the UVF has discussed downsizing by 50 per cent within six months, and sometime after that to halve again in size,” said one loyalist source.

“That will be a major task because both the UVF and the UDA have recruited heavily among teenagers in the Protestant community and it would mean telling most of those kids they’re no longer part of any organisation.”

Sunday Life

By Sinead McCavana
30 October 2005

THOUSANDS of Protestants from across Northern Ireland braved the rain yesterday at the Love Ulster rally in west Belfast.

Fears that the event might spark violence, similar to the scenes at the Whiterock parade, proved unfounded.

Community groups, victims’ groups, bands and members of the Orange Order joined the parade, which began on the Shankill Road at noon.

Organisers said the march was part of a campaign for unionist unity and represented a “demand to respect the rights of the unionist community”.

Victims’ groups, some holding pictures of lost relatives, led the parade, followed by several bands of Orangemen.

John Dickey chairman of new group, North Ulster Victim Support Network, said the rally was about “getting across the views of ordinary Protestant people”.

Belfast Orange County Grand Master Dawson Bailie and Willie Fraser of victims’ group Fair were among the speakers.

Mr Baillie said Protestant people had been given a “raw deal”.

His message to the Government was: “the Protestant people are still in the majority in British Northern Ireland”.

There was a noticeable absence of flags in the crowd, one loyalist who lifted a paramilitary flag was told by stewards to put it down.

Willie Fraser took the platform and spoke of the Government pandering to republicans and Ulster’s vital role in World War Two.

“Only for the loyalty of Ulster people (in the war) we would be speaking German now -we’ve paid our way,” he said.

The crowd dispersed quickly and there was no sign of any trouble.

Sunday Life

By Stephen Breen
30 October 2005

A group of loyalist women are planning to bring Belfast to a standstill later this week.

The Women Restoring Unionist Culture (WRUC) group - established by Belfast women following September’sserious riots - will block roads in the city during rush-hour on Friday.

The planned blockades have prompted Assistant Chief Constable Duncan McCausland to arrange a meeting with the group. Other senior cops will also attend the meeting on Tuesday.

We can also reveal the loyalist women are currently considering an offer to meet with West Belfast Sinn Fein MP, Gerry Adams.

Speaking on behalf of the group, chairwoman Jean Barnes, told Sunday Life the group was “entirely peaceful”.

She also rejected suggestions that the protests could lead to serious disorder across Belfast.

Said Ms Barnes: “We have had no correspondence from unionist politicians about our concerns, yet we have had word back from Gerry Adams. We want to speak to all political parties.

“Our group is entirely peaceful and we are not out to cause trouble. We are merely highlighting legitimate concerns from the unionist community.”

“We are opposed to violence from whatever quarter and all we want is for the Government to listen to us.”

The PSNI confirmed a meeting with the WRUC was taking place on Tuesday.

Sunday Life

30 October 2005

He fought to put terrorist killers like Johnny Adair behind bars and was the victim of dirty tricks from sinister elements inside the RUC’s Special Branch. Now former top CID detective Johnston Brown has written a gripping account of his career. Adapted by Sunday Life’s Stephen Gordon from Into The Dark.

TOMMY was resettled in England after Operation Mechanic - but, to our amazement, this Catholic ex-IRA man renewed his contacts with the UVF!

He received just £10,000 from the RUC and was naturally very disappointed.

My partner Trevor flew over to England to fully debrief him.

Trevor contacted me in an agitated state shortly after his return flight touched down in Belfast, saying he had just taken a call on his RUC mobile phone from ‘Y’, a UVF man and Special Branch agent.

‘Y’ asked Trevor how “Tommy the tout” was doing in England, even naming the town he had been resettled in! He asked Trevor to give Tommy his regards, and to ask him if it was worth it for £10,000.

In any event, our friend Tommy settled down in England, having initially been suicidal.

He lives there today in self-exile, and is doing well in business. I will always be grateful to him for his assistance to us in our fight against terrorism.

But we were astounded to hear he was back in contact with his old Mount Vernon UVF friend ‘X’, a sectarian killer.

He even had ‘X’ and some of his other former UVF cronies come over to visit him.

We warned Tommy that it would end in grief, that ‘X’ was evil. Tommy argued that we didn’t really know ‘X’, that he was a “great guy, really”.

Extracted from Into The Dark: 30 years in the RUC, published by Gill and Macmillan on November 1, priced £16.99

Sunday Life

30 October 2005

He fought to put terrorist killers like Johnny Adair behind bars and was the victim of dirty tricks from sinister elements inside the RUC’s Special Branch. Now former top CID detective Johnston Brown has written a gripping account of his career. Adapted by Sunday Life’s Stephen Gordon from Into The Dark.

A NERVOUS young gunman came to kill me just 10 days after a rogue CID colleague claimed he had given the UVF my address.

I have no doubts at all that the gunman had been sent to my door at the request of my UVF-sympathising colleague.

I had only moved into my new home in Twinburn, Monkstown a month earlier and, as far as I knew, no paramilitary group knew of my new address.

I was out on the lawn in my front garden, making the most of some beautiful May weather to weed the flowerbeds.

My personal protection weapon, a 9mm Walther, was hidden underneath a bin lid, which I was tossing the weeds into.

The quiet in the estate was suddenly broken by the noisy arrival of a car with a broken exhaust, and it stopped outside my next-door neighbours’ house.

I was on my knees weeding when I heard a door opening and a gruff male voice shout:

“His motor’s there, make it quick.”

My car was parked up the side of the house and my gate was closed.

I knew I was in trouble. Still on my knees, I reached below the bin lid and grabbed hold of my Walther pistol.

My palms were sweating but my grip on the handgun was firm.

I watched with trepidation as a youth aged between 18 and 20-years-old approached my house.

He was slim, not very tall, had long, dark hair and wore an overcoat three sizes too big for him.

He was so engrossed in watching my front door that he didn’t notice me kneeling on the other side of the three foot garden wall, close enough to touch him.

He kept looking back at the car he had just left, as if for inspiration.

I could see he was very nervous as he walked straight past me and stopped at the front gate. He had his right hand inside his overcoat pocket and, judging by the shape of the bulge, was holding something in the pocket. I had no doubt it was a gun.

He was trying with difficulty to open the wrought iron gate with his left hand.

I was as nervous as he was, but I didn’t want to do anything that would make him panic.

“Can I help you?” I called as he wrestled with the gate.

He was totally taken aback. He stared at me and then looked back at his friend in the car.

“It’s about the car for sale,” he said.

I saw him staring towards my right hand, which was hidden under the bin.

I smiled at him in a bid to indicate that I had no idea that anything was wrong. I could see the blind panic in his eyes.

He looked back yet again over his shoulder towards the car where his waiting friend pumped the car horn twice and revved the engine.

The youth was sweating. He moved slowly up from the gate until he was standing directly above me. He tried to remove his right hand from his coat pocket but it was stuck, so he pointed the pocket and its contents up in my direction.

I was afraid that he was about to shoot me and removed my handgun from below the bin into full view.

He couldn’t take his eyes off it. He backed away a few steps at a time. He didn’t speak. Then he panicked and ran to the car.

I was honestly glad to see him go. I had no wish to hurt him, even though I knew he had come to my home to murder me.

I got to my feet. There was a loud sound from the exhaust as the dark-coloured Hillman Avenger sped off up Twinburn Drive.

I had been very lucky.

Extracted from Into The Dark: 30 years in the RUC, published by Gill and Macmillan on November 1, priced £16.99