A PROMINENT republican acquitted of involvement in the killing of Robert McCartney has been questioned about the murder of an off-duty police officer.
Jim 'Dim' McCormick has been quizzed by detectives from the PSNI legacy branch about the murder of RUC officer John Larmour, shot dead by the IRA in October 1988 as he worked in his brother's ice cream shop on the Lisburn Road in south Belfast.
McCormick (46) is currently in Maghaberry prison awaiting sentencing after being found guilty in September of attempting to murder James Henry by stabbing him in the neck.
His brother Hugh McCormick (50) was also found guilty of hitting Mr Henry over the head with a crowbar.
An inquest into the murder was told that the police officer from Ballyclare was looking after the shop for a week while his brother was on holiday and had been careful not to divulge his occupation to other staff or customers.
The IRA are believed to have received intelligence relating to Mr Larmour's routine from a third party who was in a relationship with a colleague of Mr Larmour's.
In 2008 the Police Ombudsman upheld a complaint by Mr Larmour's son Gavin that his father's killing was not properly investigated and that special branch withheld information from detectives investigating the murder.
The gun used in the murder, a 357 Magnum, was used a month earlier to kill 29-year-old Colin Abernethy, who was shot dead on the Lisburn to Belfast train close to Finaghy station.
In 2005 'Dim' McCormick, from the Markets area, was arrested in Birmingham and brought back to Northern Ireland for questioning about the killing of father-of-two Robert McCartney who was stabbed following a fight with republicans in Belfast city centre bar.
He was later charged with affray but found not guilty in 2008 following a lengthy trial.
He was said to be one of a number of people expelled from the IRA following the McCartney murder but remained close to leading members of the organisation including IRA commander Gerard 'Jock' Davison shot dead in the street in May of this year.
A spokesperson for the PSNI said they would not be commenting on the Larmour investigation.
