MH17: Liam Sweeney's dad says unlikely killers will be jailed

Liam Sweeney had been onboard flight MH17 travelling to New Zealand to watch Newcastle United play

A father whose son was killed as flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine says it is "very, very unlikely" the murderers will ever be jailed.

Liam Sweeney, 28, from Newcastle, was travelling with friend John Alder, 63, from Gateshead, when a missile hit the plane, killing a total of 298 people.

A Dutch court earlier found three men - two Russians and a Ukrainian - guilty of murder in their absences.

Mr Sweeney's father Barry said it would "never take the hurt away".

On 17 July 2014, 298 people - including 80 children and 15 crew - boarded Malaysia Airlines flight 17 to Kuala Lumpur at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

Barry Sweeney travelled to the court at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam to hear the verdicts

Mr Sweeney and Mr Alder had been travelling to New Zealand to watch their team Newcastle United on a pre-season tour, and had travelled from Newcastle to Amsterdam for a connecting flight.

The friends were among 10 victims from the UK - two-thirds of those on the plane were from the Netherlands.

The plane was cruising at 33,000 feet over Ukraine when it was shot down, during the early days of Russia's efforts to control parts of the country.

Mr Sweeney's father travelled to a secure courtroom at Schiphol Airport with his son and daughter to hear the verdicts following a 69-day hearing.

"It's what I want but it will still never take the hurt away from what happened, and Liam is always going to be there," he said.

"It's hard - but I knew we had to come to this. We can't really go any further unless the Russians appeal, and if they appeal, well, we'll have to see what happens after that."

John Alder, from Gateshead, had been travelling with Mr Sweeney when the aircraft was shot down

The court found a Russian-made missile supplied from Russia - and fired by an armed group under Russian control - brought down flight MH17.

The judges ruled it was a deliberate action to bring down a plane, even though the three convicted men had meant to shoot down a military - not civilian - aircraft.

They were sentenced to life in jail.

A team used the wreckage of the plane as part of their investigation

Russia has always denied any involvement and the Kremlin has dismissed the legal proceedings.

Asked what he would say to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Sweeney said: "'Hand them over' - but I don't think that's going to happen.

"In fact [it's] very, very unlikely.

"He'll stand his ground, they'll still blame the Ukrainians for what happened - so he's not going to accept the blame, is he?

"You have got to be a realist sometimes."

A third Russian man, represented by a team of Dutch lawyers, was acquitted.

MH17: The Search for Truth

Hear more from the families' on their quest for justice.

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