Northern Ireland

Leading dissident Sean McVeigh had previous murder charge dropped

Sean McVeigh who was sentenced to 25-years in prison.
Sean McVeigh who was sentenced to 25-years in prison. Sean McVeigh who was sentenced to 25-years in prison.

Sean McVeigh, who has started a 25-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of a police officer in Eglinton, Co Derry in 2015, had previously avoided a conviction for involvement in the murder of a prison officer.

A close associate of leading Lurgan republican Colin Duffy, McVeigh has 36 previous convictions, mainly for minor public order offences.

He had tried to keep a low public profile, until he was charged in connection with a gun attack carried out by the New IRA just two months after that organisation announced its formation.

David Black, 52, a father of two from Cookstown, was shot dead on the M1 motorway as he travelled to work at Maghaberry Prison in November 2012.

In July 2014 a charge of murder and another of possessing an assault rifle with the intent to endanger life were dropped against McVeigh, who claimed afterwards that he intended to sue the PPS and PSNI for wrongful detention.

In April 2014 while on bail charged with the murder of a prison officer McVeigh was jailed for three months for verbally abusing police while drunk.

He is currently housed in the republican wing of Maghaberry prison where he is expected to serve his lengthy jail term.