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Stone gets 16 years for raid
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent08.12.08
LOYALIST killer Michael Stone was jailed for 16 years today for trying to kill Sinn Fein leaders in a one-man raid on the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The 53-year-old was sentenced at Belfast crown court for the attempted murder of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness during a bizarre armed attack on Stormont.
The former Ulster Defence Association member, who gained notoriety in 1988 when he killed three mourners at an IRA funeral in Belfast, claimed his actions in November 2006 were an act of performance art. But the judge in his trial last month dismissed this theory.
As well as two counts of attempted murder, Stone was found guilty of seven other charges relating to the Stormont attack, including possession of nail bombs, three knives, a garrotte and an axe, and causing criminal damage to the Stormont building.
Reader views (2)
He should have been given a medal.
- Alan Preen, McLean, Texas, USA.
Having seen the video, needless to say the jobsworth security men or officials were more intent on holding back the camera men in the hall than rushing to the aid of their colleague and they did it with all the zeal of men who would rather be behind the crowd than in front of it. Still at least there was a woman to help the other security man.
- John, Chichester
