English murder accused to attend religion course

Published Tuesday, 19 May 2009
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One of the men charged with murdering loyalist leader Tommy English has received High Court permission to attend a religious ministry in England.

Philip Laffin, 31, who is said to be a born-again Christian, was granted a bail variation to take part in a three-day course next month.

With Laffin having already surrendered his passport he will travel to and from the gathering in Leicestershire by boat.

He is one of 11 men charged in connection with the assassination of Mr English, a high-ranking Ulster Defence Association member, during a violent feud with the rival Ulster Volunteer Force more than eight years ago.

The 40-year-old victim was gunned down in front of his wife at their home in Newtownabbey, near north Belfast in October 2000.

Laffin, of Bridge Street, Antrim, denies the charge against him, which is based on so-called supergrass evidence supplied by Newtownabbey brothers David and Robert Stewart.

They have pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in the murder, and made statements which allegedly implicate the other suspects.

Missionary work

During an earlier bail application the court was told that Laffin had found God, taken part in missionary work in Africa and been involved in Christian prison ministry.

But with the prosecution alleging that witnesses in the case have been subjected to intimidation, he was warned about his conduct before the variation was granted.

Mr Justice McLaughlin told him "threatening noises" had been made and said he was to be careful about who he contacted.

Meanwhile another murder suspect, alleged police agent Mark Haddock, withdrew a planned High Court bail application.

Lawyers for Haddock, originally from the Mount Vernon area of Belfast, did not disclose why their client no longer wished to proceed.

© Press Association
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