A convicted killer serving life was jailed for nine years yesterday for involvement in two sectarian shootings he might not have committed. Belfast Crown Court heard that "for reasons best known to himself" David Andrew Nicholson (29) insisted on pleading guilty to having the guns used in the murder attempts, in Lisburn in 1993 and 1994.
Defence counsel, Mr Andrew Donaldson, said there were doubts as to whether Nicholson was the gunman, although he had some involvement in either carrying or handling the gun used in the shootings. Nicholson's confession to the shootings was made in Maghaberry Prison, where he is serving life for stabbing a friend, Harold Palmer, 78 times in his Duke Street flat in Ballymena in November 1995.