LISTEN:Dad of UVF murder victim outraged tip off of son's murder wasn't acted on

By Q Radio News

The father of a UVF murder victim says he's outraged security forces didn't act on a tip off that his son would be killed. 

Raymond McCord Jnr was beaten to death in a disused quarry in 1997.

It emerged in court yesterday that Loyalist supergrass Gary Haggarty told his handlers about the attack before it happened, but no action was taken. 

The former UVF commander will be sentenced in the new year for over 200 terror offences, but will likely face little time behind bars because of a contentious state deal. 

Raymond McCord Snr says the security force handlers should face the courts to explain themselves:

In court yesterday, Haggarty's defence barrister argued that while his client was automatically entitled to a reduction for turning state's witness in 2010, the terror boss should also be given credit for assisting Special Branch since becoming an RUC agent in 1993.

Martin O'Rourke QC claimed Haggarty warned his handlers that his UVF colleagues planned to kill fellow member Raymond McCord jnr in November 1997.

He said Haggarty, the one-time boss of the UVF's notorious north Belfast Mount Vernon gang, was in custody at the time Mr McCord's death was being planned and he phoned Special Branch on his own mobile and the jail payphone to alert them.

"The defendant told Special Branch of the plot to kill Mr McCord," the lawyer told judge Mr Justice Colton.

The killing was not prevented.

Mr McCord was beaten to death by the Mount Vernon UVF and his body was dumped in a quarry in north Belfast.