Michael Stone: Victim's sister bids to keep loyalist killer in jail

Michael Stone (centre) being restrained during the attack at Stormont in 2006

Further legal action has been taken to try to stop loyalist killer Michael Stone applying again for early release.

The case was taken by the family of one of his victims to try to keep him in jail, on the basis he "squandered" a previous chance of release.

The loyalist, now 65, was freed early from prison in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

He was sent back six years later after attempting to attack Sinn Féin politicians at Stormont.

At the height of the Troubles, in 1988, Stone killed three people in a gun and grenade attack at Milltown Cemetery in Belfast.

One of his victims was 20-year-old Thomas McErlean.

His sister, Deborah McGuinness, has taken the legal action to try to stop Stone applying again for early release.

She is appealing a High Court ruling made last year that gave Sentence Review Commissioners the right to consider another application from Stone.

At the Court of Appeal on Friday, her lawyer argued if a prisoner "squandered" their chance of early release, they should not be entitled to apply again.

"This is an exceptional scheme to release prisoners on a one-off basis," he said.

To allow "multiple applications", he said, would be wrong.

"It gives a licence to prisoners to turn on and off the tap of violence as it suits them," he said

'Second bite of the cherry'

Stone is currently scheduled to stay in jail until at least 2024.

His barrister said the legislation on the early-release scheme does not stipulate that only one application is possible.

He said: "The act does let you have a second bite of the cherry."

Michael Stone was filmed firing shots and throwing grenades at funeral mourners in 1988

The barrister acting for the Sentence Review Commission, also told the court that nowhere in the legislation was an application for early release "restricted to a one-off".

After a two-hour hearing, judgement was reserved.

Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan said: "We will seek to give our judgement as quickly as we can."

Stone is currently serving a 30-year jail term.

As well as the Milltown cemetery murders, he was convicted of three other killings.

In 2006, he entered Parliament Buildings at Stormont, armed with explosives and an axe, in an attempt to murder Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

Stone denied it had been a bid to kill the politicians, instead claiming it was "an act of performance art".

Deborah McGuinness, centre, pictured after the High Court ruled in her favour last year

Stone's other victims were:

• Milkman Patrick Brady, who was murdered in south Belfast in 1984

• Joiner Kevin McPolin, who was shot in the head in Lisburn, County Antrim, in 1985

• Bread delivery driver Dermott Hackett, who was shot up to 16 times with a submachine gun in his work van in 1987