UDR-UVF murder squad wanted to ‘reactivate’ after Belfast Good Friday Agreement
CONNLA YOUNG CRIME and SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, March 3rd, 2026
A MURDER squad believed to be responsible for multiple sectarian killings was preparing to “reactivate” three years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, the Irish News has learned.
Details of the sinister plan to relaunch a murder campaign almost a decade after the first 1994 republican and loyalist ceasefires have been revealed in documents disclosed as part of legal proceedings linked to the murders of four men in Co Tyrone 35 years ago today.
Malcolm Nugent (20), Dwayne O’Donnell (17) and John Quinn (23), who were all members of the IRA, were shot dead along with civilian Thomas Armstrong (52) at Boyle’s Bar in Cappagh on March 3, 1991.
A 2002 statement made by a British army intelligence officer confirms for the first time that military chiefs were told members of eight UDR based in Cookstown were responsible for the Cappagh and other attacks.
The UDR merged with the Royal Irish Rangers in 1992 to form the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR), a British army unit also suspected of collusion.
In a 2002 statement, seen by the Irish News, a former British soldier said he worked as a Regional Military Intelligence Officer based at Mahon Barracks in Portadown between 1999 and 2001.
Sinister plan came three years after GFA was signed
The regional intelligence officer confirms he was later attached to the British army’s officer training centre at Sandhurst as an instructor.
The regional officer states that in 2001 he provided an intelligence briefing to members of 8 RIR, which covered parts of Co Tyrone and 3 RIR, based in Co Down, about the activities of the Real IRA, formed in 1997, at Ballykinler British army base in Co Down.
“At the end of this briefing (redacted) stood up and asked why if we know where they are, why aren’t we killing them,” the officer reveals.
It is understood the soldier involved held the rank of Warrant Officer and at the time was based at Drumadd British army base in Co Armagh.
The regional intelligence officer states how he later spoke with an RIR whistleblower who was put in contact with him by an Assistant Intelligence Officer attached to 8 RIR, who described a conversation he and a colleague had during a car journey. The regional officer claims the RIR whistleblower told him the pair discussed the Real IRA and that his colleague, believed to be the same person who asked why members of the Real IRA were not being killed, was unhappy.
“(Redacted) brought the conversation round to the RIRA and republican terrorism and stated something along the lines of that something should be done about them,” the statement said.
“(Redacted) said he knew or was part of that crowd in east Tyrone and that they weren’t happy with the way things were going and that, (redacted) was getting the team back together.”
The regional intelligence officer said notes taken by him at the meeting were destroyed. The whistleblower later told the regional intelligence officer his colleague, who had drink taken, said when he asked about the ‘team’, that it was the “guys responsible” for Boyles Bar and another attack.
A similar statement from the Assistant Intelligence Officer, also dated 2002, reveals how he asked the whistleblower “how could he be sure that (redacted) wasn’t raving with drink in him”.
“(Redacted) said ‘no’ and in fact he thought he was trying to recruit him,” the assistant officer records. “I asked why would he think that? “And (redacted) said that (redacted) said the time had come to reactivate the team and the peace process was a joke and that the murdering bastards were back out on the street having killed good men.”
The Ministry of Defence was contacted.
British military intelligence told Cookstown UDR members involved in loyalist murders
CONNLA YOUNG, Irish News, March 3rd, 2026
Unit linked to four killings in Cappagh, Co Tyrone 35 years ago today which were claimed by UVF
A FORMER British army intelligence officer and Sandhurst instructor was told that members of the UDR were directly involved in the murder of six men in Co Tyrone.
Malcolm Nugent (20), Dwayne O’Donnell (17) and John Quinn (23), who were all members of the IRA, were shot dead along with civilian Thomas Armstrong (52) at Boyle’s Bar in Cappagh on March 3, 1991 – 35 years ago today.
The three were killed after they drove into the pub car park as a loyalist murder squad lay in wait.
Weapons used in the attack included Czech-made VZ58s smuggled into the north with the help of British intelligence in the late 1980s.
It has long been suspected that members of the UDR were involved in the Cappagh attack, along with a series of other sectarian murders in the east Tyrone area.
It has now emerged that in a 2002 statement, a former British army intelligence official confirmed he was told members of the eight UDR based in Cookstown were involved in the killings.
Located in Dungannon, Aughnacloy and Cookstown, eight UDR covered a large swathe of east Tyrone and parts of south Tyrone.
Confirmation that authorities knew of UDR involvement in loyalist murders is contained in documents disclosed as part of legal proceedings linked to the Cappagh attack.
From its establishment in 1970, the UDR was embroiled in controversy amid allegations of sectarian conduct and collusion.
The regiment went out of existence in July 1992 when it merged with the Royal Irish Rangers to form the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR), a British army unit also suspected of collusion.
HET revealed 1991 UDR among murder suspects
A Historical Enquiries Team report, which was focused on the murder of Dwayne O’Donnell, revealed that in December 1991, three part-time members of the UDR were among four suspects arrested.
A fourth man, a relative of one of the UDR men, was also detained.
The Cappagh attack was later claimed by the UVF.
On the night of the attack former UVF commander, and suspected state agent, Billy Wright was arrested along with another man at the Moy Road, Dungannon, before being released. It is not clear what role, if any, Wright had in the Boyle’s Bar attack.
In a statement, seen by The Irish News, a former British soldier said he worked as a Regional Military Intelligence Officer and was based at Mahon Barracks in Portadown between 1999 and 2001.
Clockwise from top, Boyle’s Bar victims Dwayne O’Donnell, Malcolm Nugent, John Quinn and Thomas Armstrong were shot dead in Cappagh in 1991
The soldier confirms he was later an instructor at the Old College Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst – a British army officer training centre.
The regional officer revealed that at the start of 2001 he provided an intelligence briefing to members of the RIR about the activities of the Real IRA at Ballykinler British army base in Co Down.
The soldiers present were members of eight RIR, and three RIR, which covered Co Down.
The regional officer states that soldiers from the rank of corporal to captain were present.
The document reveals that at the end of the briefing an RIR soldier, whose name has been redacted, stood up and asked “why if we know where they are, why aren’t we killing them?”
The regional officer also recalls later speaking to an RIR whistleblower who made contact with an Assistant Intelligence Officer attached to 8 RIR about a conversation he had with a colleague during a car journey.
The regional officer says the RIR whistleblower later told him the two RIR members discussed the Real IRA and that his colleague expressed unhappiness “with the way things were going” and stated he was “getting the team back together”.
“(Redacted) told me he had asked (redacted) about his team and (redacted) said it was the guys responsible for the Battery Bar and Boyle’s Bar/Pub,” the intelligence officer recorded.
IRA and Sinn Fein members targeted
IRA member Liam Ryan and civilian Michael Devlin were killed during a loyalist gun attack at the Battery Bar in Moortown, Co Tyrone, in November 1989.
Members of the UDR are also suspected of involvement in the murder of Sinn Féin member Tommy Casey near Cookstown in October 1990.
The regional officer said in his statement that “(redacted) also mentioned that (redacted) had talked about someone connected with Sinn Féin who had been shot dead in Cookstown” adding that he couldn’t “recall any of the details he told me”.
Specific details of the gun attack at Boyle’s Bar were also recorded in the statement.
The regional officer also makes a direct reference to the UDR in Cookstown in his statement.
“(Redacted) also told me the crew carrying out these attacks were all working in Cookstown UDR and would go in and sign on and go out and carry out the murders and go back to base,” the statement said.
“These could have occurred either on training nights or on other nights when there was different types of duty.”
The intelligence officer said that after his last meeting with the whistleblower he took him to meet “(redacted), both attached to Special Branch at Mahon Road”.
A separate statement made by the Assistant Intelligence Officer at 8 RIR, whose area included East Tyrone, also sheds fresh light on the claims made by the RIR whistleblower.
He records that while on the journey, his colleague, who had drink taken, told him that “he had ran a team in east Tyrone and this team was totally 8 UDR and they had been responsible for several murders”.
The source also said that his colleague has told him “the time had come to reactivate the team and the peace process was a joke”.
“ These murders are linked to a series of 11 murders allegedly committed by parttime members of the UDR in collusion with the Mid Ulster UVF who supplied the weapons
’Secret” 2003 PSNI report
“(Redacted) also said that he had shot a man between the eyes.”
Other documents contain statements from UDR members who were on patrol in the Cappagh area on the day of the Boyle’s Bar attack.
They confirm that an ‘out of bounds’ order, which was later extended, was in place before the loyalist attack.
The documents also contain details of a 2003 PSNI report marked “secret” which was linked to an historical investigation into murders carried out in east Tyrone between 1988 and 1991.
“These murders are linked to a series of 11 murders allegedly committed by part-time members of the UDR in collusion with the Mid Ulster UVF who supplied the weapons,” the report states.
The report later states the investigation will “attract considerable public interest and will be politically impactive if and when knowledge of this investigation and the collusion issues (between UDR soldiers and UVF attached to it are in the public domain)”.
Families of the four men killed in attack call for a full investigation
CONNLA YOUNG, Irish News, March 3rd, 2025
THE families of four men killed in a loyalist gun attack believed to have been carried out by members of the UDR say they will continue their campaign for justice.
Malcolm Nugent (20), Dwayne O’Donnell (17) and John Quinn (23), who were all members of the IRA, were shot dead along with civilian Thomas Armstrong (52) at Boyle’s Bar in Cappagh, Co Tyrone, on March 3, 1991 -35 years ago today.
The three republicans were killed after they drove into the pub car park as a loyalist murder squad lay in wait, while Mr Armstrong was inside the bar at the time.
Weapons used in the deadly attack included Czech-made VZ58 assault rifles, smuggled into the north with the help of British intelligence in the late 1980s.
While members of the UDR are believed to have been involved in the Boyle’s Bar attack, it was later claimed by the UVF.
Recently disclosed documents confirm that British army intelligence officers were told that members of the UDR based in Cookstown were responsible for the Boyle’s Bar, and another attack, which claimed the lives of two men.
Seana Quinn, sister of Dwayne O’Donnell, said relatives of those killed “are still as determined to fight for the truth that we need.
“Our families will continue to seek full disclosure and accountability in relation to the UDR’s role in these murders,” she said.
“Ultimately, that accountability rests with the British government for the policy practice of collusion in our country that claimed hundreds of lives.
“They may have buried my brother, but they cannot bury the truth.”
Her solicitor, Gavin Booth, of Phoenix Law, said the Cappagh families and others “have alleged that the 8th battalion of the UDR were directly responsible for the murders of their loved ones.
“There has never been an effective investigation into these allegations and not once has a police force ever sat down and told them anything, even though fresh inquests were finally ordered in August 2023, after years of campaigning,” he said.
Relatives of the dead will hold a candlelit vigil in Cappagh tonight at 7.30pm.
Clergyman attacks Sinn Fein and GAA 'eulogising' of IRA murderers in tribute to slain UDR soldiers
By Adam Kula, Belfast News Letter, March 2nd, 2026
A cleric has savaged Sinn Fein’s glorification of multiple murderer Bik McFarlane and GAA associations with IRA terror.
Rev Ron Johnstone highlighted “how offensive it is to innocent victims to know that in our city there is a GAA tournament for under 12s” named after leading Sinn Fein and IRA man Joe Cahill.
The Free Presbyterian clergyman was speaking at a memorial event for two UDR soldiers who were fatally blown up by the IRA in Belfast city centre.
James Cummings and Frederick Starrett were killed by a bomb hidden by the IRA next to the then-under construction CastleCourt shopping centre on February 24, 1988.
Both were also members of the Orange Order, and an annual parade is held in their honour, whilst a wreath was laid in their memory at the site of the explosion.
Speaking to the assembled crowd in the city centre on Saturday, Rev Johnstone said that “they were seeking to protect all members of society, all communities, but you see that made them so-called legitimate targets in the eyes of those who were seeking some sort of mythical republican utopia”.
He lamented that terrorists continue to be “eulogised”, pointing to the Cahill tournament in west Belfast.
He said that the memorial march’s route had just taken them past the scene of some of the worst bloodshed during the IRA’s Bloody Friday bombings, carried out when “Cahill was the leader of the IRA in Belfast”.
Michelle O’Neill criticised
He also highlighted the fact that Sinn Fein had recently praised IRA killer Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane, and made reference to Michelle O’Neill’s remark about there being “no alternative” to Troubles violence.
In the face of such “despicable statements”, he said, “I believe we should react with righteous anger”.
“What do I mean? Well, your presence here today sends out a message to people like that,” he added.
“Though our community, we've wept – we haven't weakened. Though we've cried, we haven't capitulated. Though we've sorrowed, we haven't surrendered.
“Though you've bombed us, we're not bowed. We're still here, and we're still standing for the same principles.
“And you didn't win because we still enjoy our Protestant and British way of life.”
He went on to add that “we should react by refusing to allow evil terrorists to be equated with brave members of our security forces who lost their lives”.
He told the crowd: “They're not the same. Our brethren and other security forces woke up every morning wondering: will this be the day when we’ll be killed? Will we be murdered today?
“Men like Bik McFarlane, who only a few days ago this week was lauded by Sinn Fein leaders – a murderer! – he woke up in the morning wondering: who will I murder today? That’s the difference between them.
“Another way we should react is by seeking the Lord. God is in control; we leave the matters with him. We believe God is on the side of right and of truth.”
Among those present at the parade and memorial event on Saturday was Orange Grand Master Harold Henning.
Private Starrett was from east Belfast and had been in the UDR for four months at the time he was killed, while Private Cummings was from Rathcoole in Newtownabbey, and had been in the regiment since 1986.
The IRA had also planted a second bomb, apparently intended for police responders, but it failed to detonate.
“Listen, my job is not to be sensitive; my job is to ensure that justice is delivered.
Irish Times, March 3rd, 2026
‘My job is not to be sensitive’, says O’Callaghan, after rejecting Creeslough families meeting
Mother of explosion victim Leona Harper (14) says move was a ‘slap in the face’
When asked if his refusal to meet families affected by the Creeslough tragedy was insensitive, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said his job was not to be sensitive, but to ensure that justice was delivered.
He was speaking to reporters during a cross-Border police conference held by An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in Co Cavan on Monday.
On Friday, the mother of 14-year-old Leona Harper, who died in the 2022 explosion, told UTV O’Callaghan’s rejection of a request for a further meeting was a “slap in the face”.
The Harper family have been campaigning for a public inquiry into the blast at a Co Donegal service station which killed 10 people.
On Monday O’Callaghan said: “Listen, my job is not to be sensitive; my job is to ensure that justice is delivered.
“I’m the Minister for Justice, I want to ensure that the families of Creeslough get justice.
“The only way justice can be provided to them is through the courts and we’re at a very advanced stage of the criminal investigation.”
He said one file has already been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions and that a second was “forthcoming”.
He added: “There needs to be, and I hope there will be, criminal prosecutions in respect of what happened at Creeslough and that’s the mechanism to provide justice for the Creeslough families.”
There will be an inquest and “other statutory investigations” that will take place after the end of the criminal proceedings, he said.
He continued: “If, at the end of the process, there are answers that still need to be provided I’ll certainly consider an inquiry.”
He said he has “no difficulty in meeting the families” and had already met the Harpers in Donegal in December, “but we need to allow time for the criminal prosecutions to be initiated”.
He attended the conference alongside Northern Ireland’s justice minister Naomi Long, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly and PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher.
The annual event focused on organised and serious crime.
On the issue of online far-right radicalisation Long said: “We’ve seen this develop in Northern Ireland quite rapidly over the last number of years.
“We’ve got to be really clear in everything we say, when we’re talking about issues of immigration, when we’re talking about issues of how we deal with that, that we are not creating a loophole which gives people any kind of validation or justification for intimidation, threat and terrorising vulnerable people.
“It is not for anyone else to take the law into their own hands.”
She said both police forces need to “learn from each other”, and highlighted the importance of sharing information between the two jurisdictions because of the “cross-Border” nature of the crimes involved. – PA
Irish Times view on State apologies: words are not enough
This will be the eighth apology since Bertie Ahern’s landmark address to Dáil Éireann in 1999
Following Wednesday’s State apology by Taoiseach Micheál Martin to survivors of abuse in industrial and reformatory schools, another such apology is now reported to be imminent, this time to the approximately 40 survivors of the thalidomide scandal of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Following a meeting with Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris on Wednesday evening, the Irish Thalidomide Association (ITA) confirmed it had received a Government commitment to a formal apology at the conclusion of an ongoing process. As the ITA noted with some understatement, the process has lasted six long decades.
This will be the eighth State apology since Bertie Ahern’s landmark address to Dáil Éireann in 1999, when he offered the first formal acknowledgment of institutional abuse. Since then, every taoiseach has added to the canon of atonement. Brian Cowen apologised on the publication of the Ryan Report; Enda Kenny to Magdalene survivors; Leo Varadkar to those failed by CervicalCheck and to men criminalised for their homosexuality; Simon Harris to Stardust victims; Micheál Martin to former residents of mother and baby institutions and county home and now Martin, once again this week.
Cynics may feel that no matter how sincere the sentiments expressed, the law of diminishing returns applies to these apologies. Such criticism should be tempered by the evidence of how meaningful such acknowledgments of official wrongdoing are to those who suffered as a result. But it must also be acknowledged that, despite the rhetoric, the State’s subsequent approach to redress for victims has often fallen well short of their demands.
The thalidomide case carries a particular distinction, since the State’s response can be measured and found wanting by international comparison. Thalidomide was withdrawn from most markets in 1961 after it was established beyond doubt that it caused catastrophic birth defects. In Ireland, it continued to be sold until 1964. Those additional years of availability, after the evidence was clear, represent a specific and documented State failure.
Germany’s decision to establish a dedicated survivors’ foundation as long ago as 1972, providing ongoing indexed support to those affected, stands in stark contrast to Ireland’s survivors, many of whom did not live to see this moment. ITA spokeswoman Finola Cassidy said before Wednesday’s meeting that “no one else should die without an apology”. That such an urgent statement is still needed in 2026 tells its own story. The apology, when it comes, will be welcome and warranted. But as has been observed too many times in this particular history, words and actions are not the same thing. The real test of the State’s sincerity lies in what follows.
Number of Catholic officers isn't good enough: Boutcher
BAIRBRE HOLMES, Belfast Telegraph, March 3rd, 2026
The number of officers in the PSNI from a Catholic background “isn't good enough”, the organisation's chief constable has said.
Jon Boutcher was speaking to the media at a cross-border conference on organised and serious crime yesterday.
Asked if the PSNI should reinstate the 50:50 recruitment initiative which was in place between 2001 and 2011 he said he wants to use the organisation's 25th anniversary to “have a proper debate about recruitment policy”.
Figures released by the PSNI last month showed that the percentage of new Catholic applicants to join the force was at its lowest in more than a decade.
Police said more than 4,000 people had applied for their latest student officer recruitment campaign, with 65.6% from a Protestant background, 26.7% from a Catholic background and 7.7% undetermined.
Last week, Sinn Fein said the removal of the 50:50 policy — which saw one Catholic recruit for every one person from a Protestant or other background — had had a “negative impact” on the number of Catholic recruits in policing.
Mr Boutcher said yesterday: “Everyone in our communities, all community leaders, all political leaders, all local councillors, priests, bishops, teachers, sports authorities, should all work to stop those people discouraging people joining the police service.
“In fact, they should actively work to encourage people to join the police service.”
He said while “some people do a huge amount of work to support police” there have been attempts to disrupt recruitment initiatives.
Mr Boutcher said the PSNI had to recently withdraw from a recruitment fair at a school because of a bomb threat that was made.
“We've got to address the concerns that people have, legitimate concerns, of dissident republican threats.
“We've got to address the issue in society that people want to join the police from a nationalist background, and they tell me this, sometimes they're ostracised by their friends, they have to move house.
“That's not a normal society.”
£495,000 cost to fund community safety officers in Belfast last year
ABDULLAH SABRI, Belfast Telegraph, March 3rd, 2026
TEAM OF 10 TASKED WITH REDUCING FEAR OF CRIME IN THE CITY
Almost half a million pounds from the public purse was used to fund 10 community patrol officers tasked by Belfast City Council last year, it can be revealed.
The Safer Neighbourhood Officers (SNOs) are described as helping “reduce crime and fear of crime” and provide an on-street presence in areas with “high levels of anti-social behaviour”.
Between January 1 and December 31, they cost Belfast ratepayers £495,544, which included salaries, equipment and other costs.
SNO salaries collectively amounted to £483,799, which includes National Insurance costs and pension contributions.
Uniforms and equipment racked up a bill of around £2,651 while legal and enforcement-related costs were £608.
Meanwhile, vehicle insurance and fuel costs were £8,486.
The figures were released following a Freedom of Information request from this newspaper.
The request also revealed a breakdown of the number of referrals and main categories of incidents dealt with by SNOs.
Among the most frequent issues were: drug use, anti-social behaviour, vehicle misuse, criminal damage, litter, noise and engagement with vulnerable groups.
The enforcing of environmental crime and on-street drinking was also monitored with the latter resulting in details being taken from four individuals for a breach of alcohol by-law.
Referrals to other agencies
Over the course of last year 386 referrals were made to other agencies.
A council spokesperson said: “The referral agencies included the PSNI, Ambulance Service, Youth Workers, Health Hub, Extern, Welcome Organisation, SOS NI, People's Kitchen, NIFRS and other Belfast City Council departments including Noise, Dog Wardens and Building Control.” They added: “It should be noted that more than one referral can be included in each of these incidents given the complex nature of issues being addressed, and that these records are where referrals constituted the key feature of the incident or engagement.”
UUP MLA Andy Allen said that anti-social behaviour has risen in recent years with investment in initiatives such as SNOs providing an opportunity to play “an important role” in quelling disorder.
The party's communities spokesman said: “Quite often police resources aren't even available to come on to the ground and try to tackle anti-social behaviour.
“So I think investment such as this has an important role if it's utilised properly and effectively to help them tackle the anti-social-behaviour and the impact it's having on local residents.”
SNOs have been in operation since April 2013 as a frontline engagement and enforcement service.
The primary role of the service is to help address issues of community safety concern and associated anti-social behaviour.
They provide “high visibility” foot patrols, offer support and advice on community safety issues and challenge low-level anti-social behaviour.
The council hired two additional SNOs in 2024 after a clip circulating online went viral depicting a man taking drugs in Belfast city centre.
The decision was ratified by councillors following a report by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee which included a statement from the police.
In the statement a PSNI spokesperson said that SNOs “provide an invaluable service” for the city and are “key partners” for police in ensuring safety.
Domestic abuser who filmed victim eating food off floor has appeal rejected
ALAN ERWIN, Irish News, March 3rd, 2025
A DOMESTIC abuser who filmed his victim while she was made to eat food off the floor has failed in a legal bid to secure a reduced prison sentence.
The Court of Appeal rejected claims that the five-year term imposed on 41-year-old Barry Maguire was manifestly excessive.
Maguire, from Omagh but with an address at Southwell Road in Bangor, subjected his former partner to a campaign of violent and emotional control. Police said she had suffered a series of cruel and demoralising acts.
The victim, a qualified doctor, reportedly began a relationship with him in 2021 during a vulnerable period when she did not have other friends or family close by.
Initial bouts of verbal abuse were said to have progressed him further degradation and physical acts of strangulation and choking the woman. She claimed he took away her phone and wallet so she could not access help.
In November 2023 a neighbour alerted the PSNI after hearing an altercation at the home. The woman was found crawling on her hands and knees away from him in clear need of help.
Officers called to the scene detected bruises all over her body in various stages of healing following weeks of sustained violence.
She had been pinned to the ground and unable to breathe in repeated incidents where Maguire held his hand over her mouth and nose, according to the police.
Feared for her life
Fearing for her life at times, she had been filmed while forced to eat off the floor, called names and spat on during the strangulations. The woman later told how Maguire had threatened to shove the food down her throat if she did not comply with his demands. His degrading actions left her traumatised and without self-confidence.
Maguire subsequently admitted a series of domestic abuse and non-fatal strangulation offences.
In October last year he received a five-year sentence at Dungannon Crown Court, with half to be served in custody and the rest on licence. Defence lawyers argued that the term imposed was manifestly excessive. Maguire’s barristers, Ian Turkington KC and Damien Halleron, also claimed the trial judge used the wrong methodology for a sentence aggravated by domestic abuse. But prosecution counsel insisted the correct prison term was imposed for what she described as particular humiliating behaviour.
Backing those submissions, judges sitting in the Court of Appeal dismissed Maguire’s challenge. Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan indicated a different process should have been adopted during sentencing.
She said: “We will give our (full) reasons within the next three weeks.”
'I hope this ends soon': NI people in Middle East on edge
NIAMH CAMPBELL, Belfast Telegraph, March 3rd, 2026
A Northern Ireland man now living in Dubai has spoken of the “fear and anxiety” he felt as Iranian missiles flew through the air.
Aamir Ishtiaque (36) from Carryduff has been living in Dubai for the past year, having previously visited the city regularly over the last seven years.
“When the first airstrike happened and I realised this was real, there was a sudden amount of fear and anxiety — it's the unknown,” he said.
After Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, Tehran responded by firing ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies, targeting Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
People from Northern Ireland living in the Middle East have praised the authorities for their handling of the airstrikes, but say they remain on “high alert” as tensions rise across the region.
As an online coach and personal trainer, Aamir moved to Dubai to work remotely and said Dubai's climate and lifestyle made it an attractive base.
But the sudden escalation in military action has left him reassessing his future.
“I've seen this on TV, but when you see the missiles in front of you and they're hovering in the air, then suddenly they get intercepted, you think: 'Is this actually happening?'”
Aamir lives on the 40th floor of a skyscraper beside Ciel Dubai Marina, the world's tallest hotel.
Residents have been advised that in the event of an explosion they should head to the basement of their buildings — a prospect that he said “isn't ideal” following two major leg operations after a football injury he endured six months ago.
Initial official advice in the UAE urged residents to stay indoors and away from windows. Later alerts encouraged people to go about their daily business while remaining cautious.
“Everything is normal today,” Aamir said yesterday, noting that hospitality workers, taxi drivers and personal trainers seem to be back working — just not those working in construction.
‘Something could happen at any stage’
“One thing I will say is that at 10am this morning… I was woken up by three loud blasts and when I jumped up, I could see smoke, so clearly three missiles had been intercepted.
“It was a reminder that actually something could happen at any stage, and you just have to be on high alert.”
He said the temporary closure of airspace and widespread flight cancellations initially made leaving impossible, adding to his family's anxiety back home.
“My mum was very upset. She was crying for me to come home,” he said.
However, he praised the UAE's response, saying authorities had pledged to fund flights and accommodation for those stranded, and had asked hotels to extend stays where required.
“I feel confident enough that I can stay here, As long as it continues the way it is, or settles down a bit more, I'm happy to stay. If not, I am definitely coming home and I'm going to stay there as long as I need to until this whole thing stops.”
Belfast woman Andrea Corcoran has lived in Qatar for 16 years. Speaking from Doha, the 51-year-old chef and business owner described the first day of strikes as “surreal”.
“Qatar is normally such a safe and stable place that hearing the blasts for the first time was unsettling. The noise on that first day was frightening, as you can imagine,” she told this newspaper.
She praised the Qatari authorities for what she described as a swift and organised response, and despite the seriousness of events, she said she did not feel personally threatened.
“There's a strong sense of trust in Qatar's defence systems and crisis management. The country is highly organised, and that gives reassurance,” Andrea continued.
“As of today, guidance has mainly focused on staying informed through official sources, limiting unnecessary movement if advised, and remaining calm. Essential services are operating as normal.
“Food supplies are stable, waste services continue without disruption, and daily life — while understandably tense — remains structured and orderly
“Emotionally, it's a strange mix. The first moments were scary because of the unexpected noise and uncertainty. But alongside that, there's confidence in the country's ability to protect its residents. It feels serious, of course — but not chaotic.
“I'm not ready to leave and we have a very strong and tight community with all cultures and nationalities spreading peace. I hope this ends soon as I see Qatar as my home.”
The Foreign Office has advised British nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. Those already in those countries have been told to remain indoors and follow local guidance.
Flights have been diverted or cancelled, disrupting travel to and from major hubs including Tel Aviv, Dubai and Doha. Dubai International Airport — the world's busiest airport by passenger traffic — was damaged in what authorities described as an “incident”. that left four staff injured.
‘Disappointing’ O’Neill not at briefing
CLAUDIA SAVAGE and REBECCA BLACK, Irish News, March 3rd, 2026
DEPUTY First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has said it is “genuinely disappointing” that First Minister Michelle O’Neill did not attend a second UK government briefing on the situation in Iran.
Ms Little-Pengelly said the intention of the briefings, the first of which she attended on Saturday and then yesterday, were to “inform us about the impact of this conflict”.
Ms O’Neill said she was in “ongoing contact with the Irish and British governments” but that she “will not be part of any briefing by the British government on their military operations”.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said he would not “argue the toss about whether the intervention of the weekend was legal or not”, adding that the UK “should have been involved earlier”.
Ms Little-Pengelly told MLAs later that she was “absolutely baffled” that “some appear to support” the Iranian regime, and claimed that Sinn Féin “have had a long-running relationship with Iran”.
Iran and Iranian-backed militias have fired missiles at Israel and Arab states, while Israel and the US pounded targets in Iran as the war in the Middle East expanded.
A drone attack targeted a British base, RAF Akrotiri, hours after British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that American forces would be allowed to use British bases to strike Iranian missile sites.
About 300,000 Britons are believed to be in countries targeted by Iran, and 102,000 are registered with the Foreign Office for updates, as officials examine all options, including a potential mass evacuation.
Engaged with UK and Irish Govt
Asked about her decision not to attend the briefing at the weekend with her Executive counterpart, Ms O’Neill said she had engaged with the UK and Irish governments and her first priority remained seeing those travelling or working in the region “extracted from what is potentially a very dangerous and catastrophic situation”.
She said: “We all know, actually, many people that are there and we all know that people are really, really worried, families are really, really anxious. Our job is to try to remain engaged and to get those people safely extracted. But I fundamentally disagree with the fact that the war has begun, and I fundamentally disagree with the British government’s approach.”
Speaking earlier, she said: “I think this is a reckless war. This is a war that should never have begun. Where is this all going to end? Because over the course of the last 48 hours, things are really spiralling out of control.
“We see more and more countries are now engaged in this war. This is death, this is destruction. This is not going to bring about a peaceful outcome. What we need to see is dialogue, what we need to see is adherence to international law, what we need to see is conversation that actually brings this to an end and allows people to safely get on with their lives.
“With what has happened over the course of the last 48 hours, I’m just fearful for where this is all going to go and it is absolutely the wrong call of the British government to join in this war, to join and all that’s happening in the Middle East, because I just don’t see where’s the cut-off point? Where are they going to stop?”
