Republican News · Thursday 5 December 2002

UDA man held for attempted murder

Former British soldier and leading Derry UDA member Mark John Pilling was remanded in custody on attempted murder charges at Limavady Court on Wednesday 27 November.

Pilling (41), from Heron Way in Derry's Waterside, was also charged with three counts of conspiracy to murder, possession of explosives and guns, intimidation and membership of the UDA. He was arrested along with six other people after a series of PSNI raids in the Waterside area of Derry and on houses near Ballymoney in County Antrim. The raids were described as a major search and arrest operation against loyalist paramilitary and criminal activity.

Pilling was remanded in custody to appear before Derry Magistrates Court via video link on 19 December.

Pilling is a leading member of the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG) which was formed last year after the UDA disbanded its political wing, the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP). The UPRG now provides political analysis to the UDA.

In September, Pilling was remanded in custody charged with having information likely to be of use to someone committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism. Names, addresses and car registrations of up to seven republicans, including Sinn Féin chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin and Sinn Féin press officer Dominic Doherty, were found during searches of his house and an office of the Loyalist Prisoners Association.

Meanwhile, a Sunday newspaper has claimed that Pilling has been disowned by the UDA after an investigation was launched into his activities. Pilling had links with the Neo Nazi Combat 18 group and had become a major embarrassment to the UDA and its political wing, the Ulster Political Research Group (UPRG).

The UPRG has described the Derry-based Pilling as a "disturbed individual" and a "Walter Mitty " type character.

Former British soldier jailed for having UDA weapons

A former British soldier was found guilty at Belfast Crown Court on Thursday 29 November of possessing guns and a pipe bomb belonging to the UDA. Michael Alexander Bradley was sentenced to seven years in jail for having the weapons, found at his girlfriend's Ballymena home. A holdall with a double barrel shotgun and a pipe bomb along with a number of cartridges for the gun were found.

Prosecution lawyer David Russell told the court that after an interview with Daniels it was discovered that her boyfriend Bradley had left the bag there.

During further searches of Bradley's home, members of the PSNI found a quantity of rifle and handgun bullets.

Bradley admitted he knew the bag contained guns but claimed he knew nothing about the pipe bomb and told the PSNI a UDA man had asked him to hide the lethal arsenal in order to clear a debt.

Bradley admitted storing the weapons with intent to enable another person to endanger life and was jailed for seven years.