UDA murder plot accused Anton Duffy met IRA 'helper'

Former UDA leader Johnny Adair was the alleged target of a murder plot

The trial of one of four men accused of plotting to kill two former UDA leaders in Scotland has heard he met a man linked to a 1980s IRA bombing plot.

The High Court in Glasgow heard Anton Duffy met Shaun McShane in Glasgow last year. Mr McShane was jailed in 1986 for "aiding" an IRA bombing plot.

Mr McShane told the court he wanted to discuss Mr Duffy's alcohol problem.

Mr Duffy, John Gorman, Paul Sands and Martin Hughes deny plotting to kill Johnny Adair and Sam McCrory.

The High Court in Glasgow has already heard that Mr Adair and his best friend Mr McCrory were both former members of prohibited Loyalist terror organisations the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and its paramilitary wing the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF).

Undercover police

They were involved in the Good Friday agreement in 1998 which brought peace to Northern Ireland, and both have been living in Ayrshire for a number of years.

The court was told that Mr McShane, 62, was identified by undercover police as he walked and chatted with Mr Duffy on 3 September last year.

They met in Old Castle Road, Glasgow, before walking for some time and then heading into a nearby pub.

The jury has heard a bugged conversation just minutes before the visit in Mr Duffy's Glasgow home in which he is asked by his girlfriend, Stacey McAllister, who has just phoned him.

Mr Duffy tells her: 'It's Shaun McShane - one of the Brighton bombers he got six or seven years mind when Thatcher was blown up or nearly blown up."

In evidence, Mr McShane, who has lived in Glasgow since the 1990s, said that he came from the same part of Donegal, Ireland, as Mr Duffy and knew his family.

The court heard that in 1986 Mr McShane pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a plot to bomb seaside towns in England by providing accommodation and telephone messaging help.

He was sentenced to eight years and this was reduced on appeal to six years.

Mr McShane was asked by prosecutor Paul Kearney: "So when Anton Duffy says you were jailed for six or seven years is he right?" and he replied: "I wasn't involved in the Brighton bombing so he's probably wrong. I admitted aiding and abetting."

Drinking problems

Mr Kearney then asked: "Was one of the men involved in this conspiracy to bomb seaside towns called Paddy McGhee," and he replied: "Not sure."

When asked why he had visited Mr Duffy he said: "He was having problems with drink. I went up and had a chat with him."

Under cross-examination by QC Derek Ogg, defending, Mr McShane was asked: "Were you aware that Anton Duffy was also addicted to Tramadol?"

Mr McShane replied: "I heard that from other people. I could tell he had drinking problems. He just seemed to be off his head. He was saying things that didn't make any sense."

He added that Mr Duffy's father Hugh, who was a friend, had asked him to speak to his son about his drinking.

Mr Duffy, 39, Mr Hughes, 36, Mr Sands, 31, and Mr Gorman, 58 , deny conspiring to murder Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair and Sam McCrory .

Mr Duffy and Mr Gorman also deny being part of a plan to murder the governor of Barlinnie jail, Derek McGill, in a car bomb attack.

Three other men - Craig Convery, 37, Gary Convery, 34, and Gordon Brown, 29 - deny organised crime charges.

The trial before judge Lady Scott continues.