Lurgan

[Tony Baloney]

The Malcolm McKeown murder trial was ending in June, but it just seemingly disappeared. Not a peep anywhere online since. What's that all about?

Not sure but it his brother Clifford was released last month! Bad boys!
https://m.sundayworld.com/crime/special-investigations/psycho-killer-who-murdered-taxi-driver-in-sectarian-attack-banned-from-using-taxis/a1401481008.html

You'd wonder about the bad seed that spawned these monsters.

[David McKeown]

The Malcolm McKeown murder trial was ending in June, but it just seemingly disappeared. Not a peep anywhere online since. What's that all about?

Not unusual. It was a diplock trial. Judges would often take months to formulate a judgement. I'd be surprised if the verdict was delivered this side of Christmas

[Orior]

Armagh senior football final this year is an all-Lurgan affair

[nrico2006]

The Malcolm McKeown murder trial was ending in June, but it just seemingly disappeared. Not a peep anywhere online since. What's that all about?

Not unusual. It was a diplock trial. Judges would often take months to formulate a judgement. I'd be surprised if the verdict was delivered this side of Christmas

Crazy, lots of reporting on in at the end of June but then nothing on the main suspect beyond that point.

[David McKeown]

The Malcolm McKeown murder trial was ending in June, but it just seemingly disappeared. Not a peep anywhere online since. What's that all about?

Not unusual. It was a diplock trial. Judges would often take months to formulate a judgement. I'd be surprised if the verdict was delivered this side of Christmas

Crazy, lots of reporting on in at the end of June but then nothing on the main suspect beyond that point.

Not a lot to report on. Judge has to consider an awful lot of evidence.

[JimStynes]

Poor Clifford McKeown passed away! Hope he rots in hell.

[nrico2006]

Poor Clifford McKeown passed away! Hope he rots in hell.

Not that he didn't deserve it, but how did he get jailed for so long for the McGoldrick murder even though he wasn't convicted until around 2003.

[David McKeown]

Poor Clifford McKeown passed away! Hope he rots in hell.

Not that he didn't deserve it, but how did he get jailed for so long for the McGoldrick murder even though he wasn't convicted until around 2003.

McKeown received a 24 year tariff for the murder (which would have expired last year) so he wasn't eligible to apply for parole (not receive parole just apply).  However given the nature and timing of his crime he had been eligible to apply for early release under the scheme set up in response to the Good Friday Agreement.  To be eligible for that scheme anyone convicted of the offence that Clifford McKeown was had to satisfy 4 criteria.  Namely he must have been serving a life sentence, he must not be a supporter of specified organisation, he must not be likely to become a supporter or engage in acts of terrorism if released and finally he must not be a danger to the public if released.

McKeown applied in 2010, 2014 and 2020 for eligibility for the scheme but was turned down on each occasion for varying reasons. In 2020 it was because it was considered by the commissioners given his history of criminality that he might be a danger if released.

McKeown in 2020 believed he was the only person eligible for the scheme never to have been released.

[Eamonnca1]

He was a Special Branch agent too, by all accounts. That brother of his was another bad divil; I'll never forget the killing of Bernadette Martin in Aghalee that he carried out, and her only 18 at the time. Awful.

[nrico2006]

Surprised he was turned down considering there were as bad as him released on licence since the GFA.

[David McKeown]

Surprised he was turned down considering there were as bad as him released on licence since the GFA.

Strangely when he attempted to challenge the decision the court suggested that the fact there were plenty of others released was a double edged sword because it gave credence to the idea that in fact he was the worse of the bunch.

[Tony Baloney]

Surprised he was turned down considering there were as bad as him released on licence since the GFA.

Strangely when he attempted to challenge the decision the court suggested that the fact there were plenty of others released was a double edged sword because it gave credence to the idea that in fact he was the worse of the bunch.

Quite an accolade when Torrens Knight was released.

[maddog]

He was a Special Branch agent too, by all accounts. That brother of his was another bad divil; I'll never forget the killing of Bernadette Martin in Aghalee that he carried out, and her only 18 at the time. Awful.

Which of them McKeowns would have been shot in the foot around Aug/Sept 1996 ? He was in same ward as my father in the hospital.

[LC]

Surprised he was turned down considering there were as bad as him released on licence since the GFA.

Strangely when he attempted to challenge the decision the court suggested that the fact there were plenty of others released was a double edged sword because it gave credence to the idea that in fact he was the worse of the bunch.

Quite an accolade when Torrens Knight was released.

I agree Knight was up there with the worst of them.

[David McKeown]

Yeah I'm not sure it was a competition. McKeown was trying to argue that as he was the only one eligible not released (not verified) that different standards must have been applied. The Judge said that didn't follow and that the argument could as easily be made that the procedure must be working because it hadn't released everyone.