The Five Demands

Informer denies ‘deal of the century’ (UTV)
Loyalist informer Robert Stewart has denied that he received what a lawyer described as the ‘deal of the century’ in return for giving evidence against 14 UVF suspects in Belfast’s ongoing supergrass trial.
The suggestion came on Stewart’s fifth day in the witness box at Belfast Crown Court from a lawyer for one of the accused – UVF commander Mark Haddock.
Mr Frank O’Donoghue QC put it to 37-year-old Stewart that serving two years and 10 months for aiding and abetting in the murder of UDA boss leader Tommy English in 2000 was the deal of the century.
Stewart said that it wasn’t his choice to release him.
“That was down to the judge and the [Parole] Commissioners,” he said.
Mr O’Donoghue asked Stewart if he was full of remorse for his part in the murder and over 100 other offences with which he was charged.
The informer said, “Yes, I wouldn’t be sitting here if I wasn’t.”
The lawyer replied, “You haven’t shown much of it in the past four days.”
Stewart said he wished he had had nothing to do with Mr English’s murder and said he couldn’t have killed someone in front of their children.
The court heard that Stewart told police he was as ‘sick as a pig’ when another accused Ronald Bowe said he wanted Mr English’s murder to be over so that he could go home for a kebab.
Since the trial began last Tuesday, Stewart has admitted to lying in his first police statement and to memory problems caused by drug and alcohol abuse.
However, he has insisted that the evidence he is now giving was the truth.
Stewart has also denied being the shooter responsible for Mr English’s death.
He fled Northern Ireland, along with his brother David, eleven days before handing themselves in over the loyalist killing. They are implicating their alleged former associates in a string of terrorist offences in return for their own lesser jail sentences.
The trial continues. At hearing.