PAUL Hill, one of the wrongly convicted Guildford Four, has said he feels "angry and sad" following Gerry Conlon's untimely death.
The two men, along with Paddy Armstrong and Carole Richardson, were wrongly convicted of the IRA Guildford pub bombings and spent 15 years behind bars before a successful appeal in 1989. Speaking from his home in the US last night, Mr Hill said Mr Conlon, who died of cancer at his home in west Belfast on Saturday, had a "much tougher time because he lost his father" (Guiseppe Conlon of the wrongly convicted Maguire Seven) but later found some solace in his human rights work. "He came home and his father wasn't there. His father died in jail and to Gerry would never be released," he said.
Mr Hill said no-one can understand the trauma the Guildford Four experienced. "It's just beyond your trying to grasp," he said. "This has brought back things that you thought were gone forever."
Mr Hill said he will be unable to attend Mr Conlon's funeral on Saturday due to his own battle with cancer. He said he understands that Mr Armstrong will attend.