Call for release of UDR Four man

THE Northern Ireland Forum called yesterday for the immediate release of Neil Latimer, the one member of the UDR Four still in prison.

In a motion agreed by all the parties at the forum, politicians said that he was being held for a crime "on highly questionable evidence". As well as his immediate release, they called for his case to go before the Criminal Case Review Body, which is expected to come into operation in Britain next January.

They also called for substantial compensation for Latimer, who has been in prison for 13 years, including time on remand.

The four former members of the Ulster Defence Regiment were convicted in 1986 for the murder of a Catholic, Adrian Carroll, in Armagh in 1983. In 1992, however, the Court of Appeal upheld the appeals of three of the men, Winston Allen, Noel Bell and James Hegan. It rejected Latimer's appeal on the grounds that his confession and the evidence of "Witness A" were sufficient to prove his guilt "beyond doubt".

One of the released members of the UDR Four, Mr James Hegan, was in the public gallery for yesterday's debate and afterwards told reporters that the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, had delayed justice for Neil Latimer by his refusal to allow a second appeal or review the length of his sentence.

Sir Patrick was condemned by many speakers in the debate. Mr Ian Paisley jnr, who raised the issue, read a statement from Latimer, who is in Maghaberry Prison. The statement said that Sir Patrick had been "a disaster", adding: "This man Mayhew is the stumbling block for me. The sooner he goes, he sooner I will see justice done.

The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, said that the four men would never have been convicted had they been republicans. The RUC was not above the law and the UDR Four case had been dealt with in an atmosphere which was bitterly opposed to the regiment.

Mr Steve McBride, of the Alliance Party, backed the case for Latimer's release and asked the forum to look as well at the case of the Casement Three, who were convicted in the case of the two British army soldiers murdered in 1988 at a funeral in west Belfast.

Ms Pearl Sagar, of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, said that the UDR Four conviction was unsafe. The case of the Casement Three should also be looked at a gain.