The Five Demands

Anger as McGeough trial costs taxpayers £226,000 (Seachranaidhe1)
THE trial of former IRA man Gerry McGeough has cost the taxpayer £226,418 in terms of legal aid paid to his defence team.
The amount was racked up by solicitors and barristers during the four year-long trial, which eventually resulted in McGeough being found guilty of attempting to murder UDR soldier Samuel Brush in 1981.
The 53-year-old was also convicted of possessing firearms with intent and holding IRA membership.
The legal charges were incurred for McGeough’s counsel at the magistrates’ court, for three high court bail applications, advice provided under the police and criminal evidence act, representation at the crown court, a court of appeal application, and civil legal aid fees in respect of a judicial review.
DUP MLA Maurice Morrow requested the figures from the Minister of Justice at the Northern Ireland Assembly. Minister David Ford said that all claims have been received and paid in respect of McGeough’s legal aid charges, and that no additional bills were expected.
The Fermanagh and South Tyrone representative branded the expense as ‘contemptible’ and the result of McGeough’s ‘numerous attempts to gain a reprieve’.
“Gerry McGeough’s legal aid expenditure is nothing short of a disgrace”, said the DUP peer.
“It has now reached disproportionate figures of almost £1/4 Million. That figure includes solicitor and barrister fees of £182451.00 and £8034 on disbursements. And there is no guarantee he is finished yet.
“However we now at least have it in black and white albeit by default, that McGeough wounded my colleague Cllr Samuel Brush.
“Whilst that is a much watered down version of attempted murder, at least McGeough’s supporters did more than him, by acknowledging his role in this despicable incident.
“Instead of facing facts McGeough made numerous attempts to play the beleaguered victim, constantly bemoaning his treatment and trying to set himself as a breed apart.
“He cares nothing for the real victim, and shows absolute contempt to the rule of law. It’s all about how he’s been supposedly hard done by. He made spurious remarks of being forced to return to prison whilst ill, which were proved to be rubbish.
“The sooner McGeough comes to terms with the fact he is a convicted terrorist who is benefiting hugely from only serving a fraction of the sentence he deserves, the better it will be for all concerned, including himself.
“It’s time the liberal and lavish dispensing of Legal Aid was curtailed on cases such as this. There was a time when Legal Aid was only granted if there was a reasonable chance of a favourable outcome.
“The system needs to be challenged on these issues. Whilst we often hear the cry of human rights that should not automatically mean an open cheque book. Such disproportionate pay-outs cannot be permitted to continue.”

£194,000 bill to keep Marian Price in prison! (Seachranaidhe1)
NEW Figures reveal it cost almost £200,000 to house Old Bailey Bomber Marian Price in Maghaberry Prison for a nine month period before she was moved to Hydebank women’s prison earlier this year.

The 58-year-old, who served time in jail in 1973 for her part in the bombing of the Old Bailey and Scotland Yard which killed one person and injured 200 others, was returned to prison last year for her involvement at a dissident republican rally in Derry.
Speaking after Price was accused of encouraging support for an illegal organisation at the event in the city’s cemetery, Secretary of State Owen Paterson said her licence had been revoked because the threat she posed had ” significantly increased”. Price, also known by her married name McGlinchey, had previously been arrested during the investigation into the 2009 murders of two soilders at Massereene Army Barracks.
Later she was charged with providing a mobile phone for the purposes of terrorism. A Freedom of Information request revealed that the total cost of holding her in Maghaberry – an all-male-prison-until February 17th was £194,537, Among the costs were £693 for food, more than £3,000 for refurbishment of the wing and almost £190,000 to staff the unit.
Price had been sent to Maghaberry following her arrest last year but was then moved to Hydebank on the advice of health trust staff.