Republican News · Thursday 10 April 2003

Sectarian killer get 24 years

Clifford McKeown, from Craigavon, County Armagh, was sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in prison on Wednesday for the sectarian killing of Catholic taxi driver Michael McGoldrick.

The randomly chosen victim was shot during the Drumcree standoff in 1996, according to McKeown as a birthday present for LVF leader Billy Wright.

Gildernew anger as murder charge is dropped

Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, Michelle Gildernew, has hit out at the judicial system after a murder chargeagainst 28-year-old Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) soldier Glen Graham Stronge was dropped to "manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility" at Belfast Crown Court on Monday 7 April.

Stronge, whose address was given as c/o The Deanery RIR barracks, Clogher, County Tyrone, was due to go on trial for the sectarian killing of 27-year-old Catholic Colin Foy in October 2001.

Foy had been drinking with his brother in the Four Ways Hotel in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, when Stronge shot him twice at point blank range with his legally held weapon. After the killing, Stronge took a taxi to the nearby RUC Barracks at Clogher, were he gave himself up to the RUC saying "I just shot a Taig".

Prosecuting counsel Paul Ramsey said given the medical evidence, they were prepared to accept Stronge's plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Presiding Judge McCollum said he had reviewed the medical evidence in the case and regarded the course taken by the prosecution as an "appropriate one".

However, speaking to An Phoblacht, Gildernew said she was astonished that the court would accept a plea of diminished responsibility, given the fact that Foy was shot because of his religion.

"If this is the case, what sort of medical procedure did the British securocrats make Stronge go through before handing him a gun?" she asked.

"If this man had diminished responsibility when committing this sectarian murder, how did he have the mental capacity to hail a taxi and claim responsibility for the killing at Clogher RUC barracks? I would say this killing was premeditated and ask what sort of sanity tests do members of the British armed forces have to undertake before they are handed weapons, and then be able to claim insanity when things go wrong."