Supergrass Gary Haggarty says he ‘scuppered’ UVF plan to kill 19 Catholic workmen

Informant Gary Haggarty has told a double murder trial that he “scuppered” a UVF plan to kill 19 Catholic workmen on a bus in June 1994.

Haggarty told the court the planned attack on a minibus in Rathcoole was retaliation for the shooting of three UVF members by the INLA.

The supergrass was giving evidence at the trial of James Stewart Smyth, 57, of Forthriver Link in Belfast for the murders of Eamon Fox and Gary Convie.

The defendant denies two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, possession of a firearm and membership of a proscribed organisation, the UVF.

Mr Convie and Mr Fox were shot dead by a gunman standing in an adjacent playground beside North Queen Street in May 1994.

There was a heavy police presence at Laganside courts on Tuesday as Haggarty returned to the witness box for the second day of proceedings.

The 51 year old was handed a reduced prison sentence after admitting more than 500 terror crimes, including five murders.

He was given early release from prison in 2018 four months into a six and a half year term, for providing information about other terrorist suspects.

He had previously told the court that his role in the murders of Mr Fox and Mr Convie included tampering with fencing near the building site and moving guns.

He previously stated that he first joined the UVF in early 1991 then became an informant for the RUC’s special branch from 1993 to 2004.

Haggarty told Belfast Crown Court that the planned attack was one of three in retaliation to an INLA shooting UVF members in 1994.

He said he told his special branch handlers of the plan as soon as he knew.

Haggarty said: “The police put a checkpoint in the area and scuppered that event.”

Earlier, Haggarty told the trial he continued to be employed as a paid informant after he had been questioned over four murders.

Defence barrister Michael Borrelli KC put it to Haggarty that he had deceived police about the extent of his involvement in UVF activities.

Haggarty responded: “Police knew I was an active terrorist, by 1994 I had been arrested for four murders. I continued working for them for another 10 years.”

In relation to the murders of Mr Fox and Mr Convie, Haggarty said he was surprised that two Catholic workmen were working onsite in a Protestant area.

Mr Borrelli asked if he thought they were two republican targets.

Haggarty said he did not know that initially but was later told that by UVF commanders.

Asked how he discovered the two men were not republicans, he said: “I don’t think Tiger’s Bay UVF’s military commander and director of operations thought they were anything other than innocent Catholics.

“I think it was a front to say they were republicans.

“They were two innocent Catholic workmen. I think the leadership of the UVF knew that at that time.”

Mr Borrelli asked the witness if he would have been bothered if he had known it was two innocent Catholics.

Haggarty said the operation would have gone ahead but that it would have bothered him.

He added: “I was in no doubt in my mind someone was going to get shot that day – the bones of the operation, I knew nothing about.”

Haggarty also told the court that he had not seen Smyth fire the shots which killed Mr Fox and Mr Convie, but said he had spoken to Smyth after and “he told me of his involvement in it”.

Earlier, Mr Borrelli put it to Haggarty that he had been paid £58,000 for his years of work as a police informer.

Haggarty said he believed the total was substantially lower than that.

The hearing continues.

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