Troubles: 1994 UVF double murder 'pure sectarianism'

41 year old Eamonn Fox and 24 year old Gary Convie

Belfast Crown Court has heard from the former UVF leader Gary Haggarty that the murder of two Catholic men in 1994 was "pure sectarianism".

Gary Convie and Eamon Fox were killed as they ate their lunch in a car at a Belfast building site.

Haggarty told the court they were not "seen as credible targets, they were just two Catholic men".

A third man, known as Witness A, survived the attack.

Haggarty also told the court that the man on trial for the double murder was "unhappy he didn't get the guy in the back of the van".

57 year old James Stewart Smyth is accused of killing 41 year old Eamon Fox, a father of six, and 24 year old Gary Convie, a father of one.

The court heard that at the time of the double murder Haggarty was second in command to the military commander Mark Haddock of the UVF in Tigers Bay.

He told the court that he was responsible for "looking after the test fire" of the weapon involved in the murders and that he had informed his handlers that it would "possibly be used in a shooting".

The UVF picked their targets because, Haggarty said "the UVF's view was that there were republicans working on the building site in North Queen Street".

The scene of the murder of Eamonn Fox and Gary Convie

'You don't ask questions'

Claiming he had no idea that the two men were going to be killed, Haggarty told the court: "In a situation like that you don't ask questions.

"I didn't know specifically what was going to happen but I was asked to take a day off work and test fire a weapon so it was pretty clear something serious was going to happen."

Haggarty told the court that he had wished James Smyth "luck" before he went to "do what he had to do".

In a previous hearing, the court heard Mr Convie and Mr Fox died in a hail of bullets.

After the shootings, the court heard that Smyth said he "emptied a full clip" then shouted "up the UVF" before he tripped and fell to the ground, scraping his knees.

Gary Haggarty has been in witness protection in England since being released from prison in 2018

'I was a violent thug'

Defence Barrister Michael Borrelli KC questioned Haggarty about his time in the UVF.

He told Haggarty: "You spent most of your life being very unfair, didn't you?"

Haggarty replied: "Yes. I was involved in a very violent organisation.

"I was involved in a lot of atrocities. I've never sought to hide that.

"I was a violent thug."

The barrister read through Haggarty's extensive list of offences, which included murder charges, kidnapping, directing terrorism, conspiracy to murder and weapons related offences.

Haggarty responded: "I'm a very dangerous man yes, but it doesn't mean I'm not telling the truth."

Haggarty told the court: "The UVF live outside the normal rules of society."

The defence barrister asked Haggarty: "Do you agree you have wrongly identified the gunman in Mr Convie and Mr Fox's murders?"

"Definitely not," Haggarty replied.

Haggarty has been in witness protection in England since being released from prison in 2018 after serving a reduced sentence for terrorism offences, five murders, including the two workmen that James Stewart Smyth is on trail for.

The ex-commander of the UVF's north Belfast unit worked as a paid Special Branch informant for 13 years.

In January 2010, he offered to become a supergrass - officially referred to as an assisting offender - and offered to give evidence against other UVF members he said were also involved in the crimes he committed.

As he agreed to give evidence against his former associates he was sentenced to just six and a half years. Taking time spent on remand, he spent just over four years in jail.