PROCESS RESUMES AFTER STORMONT MAYHEM

Crazed killer Michael Stone outlined his plan to mount a Colombine-style assault against the Sinn Féin leadership in a letter to a local newspaper.

The Belfast Telegraph said it had determined that the letter is genuine. The letter is dated 24 November, the date Stone was stopped at the entrance to the Great Hall of Stormont assembly buildings.

In the letter, the former UDA unionist paramilitary leader revealed his plan to target Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

He would, he wrote, “bluff” his way past security staff and set off a “flash bang” explosion in the large hall, the letter claims.

The letter begins: “On receiving this correspondence, I, Michael Stone will be in one of two positions.

“One, I will be in police custody with the events surrounding my arrest ensuring that I spend the rest of my natural life in prison.

“Two, that I am deceased... the latter in all probability as I don’t intend withdrawing from my mission...”

In his letter, he outlines his plans to get into the chamber and, if Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness were not there, go to their offices in Stormont building.

It also includes a list of his weapons: a large “flash bang” device, seven nail bombs, three knives, one axe and a garrotte.

The letter also states that he believed he would probably be killed in the attack.

It is signed: “For God and for Ulster” with his nickname “Flint” and his fingerprint.

Stone was arrested after his attempt to enter Stormont failed when he appeared to become trapped in the revolving doors of Parliament building and was disarmed by two security guards.

‘PUPPET SHOW’

On Monday, the political parties returned to the Assembly chamber to finish the debate interrupted when the buildings were evacuated following Stone’s attack.

The parties united to endorse the Speaker’s praise for the civilian staff who disarmed and detained Stone.

The session of the powerless ‘transitional’ assembly then continued with criticism from the smaller unionist parties, including UK Unionist Robert McCartney who dismissed last Friday’s contributions as “a choreographed puppet show”.

He said the speech by Ian Paisley, in which he initially failed to allow his own designation for the future position of First Minister alongside Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, was a “moment of truth” for the DUP leader and his party

“When you, Madam Speaker, on [British Direct Ruler] Peter Hain’s instructions, deemed Ian Paisley’s response as an acceptance [that he will go into the Executive alongside Martin McGuinness], he could there and then have denied that it was. He did not,” Mr McCartney told the chamber.

“I understand that his response omitted the express acceptance in the text agreed with Tony Blair. Subsequently, he publicly accepted the nomination outside this chamber.” Mr McCartney charged that this was an invalid acceptance and ought to be repeated inside the Assembly and for it to be recorded.

He said Peter Hain and Tony Blair wanted devolution at any price “before Blair retires and Hain moves on”.

“They are indifferent to the unstable, unworkable and undemocratic mess they leave behind.” Devolution for Sinn Féin was, he added, “a mere cog in their all-Ireland strategy”.

Speaking after the debate, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said: “This is a difficult process. It is very much inch by inch. It is a matter of trying to bring representatives across a line and into a new place.”

Urgent Appeal