MI5 agents to testify behind screens in Real IRA trial

23 October 2009
Guardian Unlimited
Henry McDonald
MI5 officers called to give evidence against three men accused of involvement in dissident republican terrorism

Thirty-five MI5 officers are to be called to court to give evidence against three Northern Irish men accused of dissident republican terrorism. The spies will be allowed to give their evidence behind screens to protect their identities, Belfast crown court heard today. The court heard that the security forces had amassed 90 hours of bugged conversations of the accused.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Desmond Kearns, Desmond Paul Kearns, MI5, Michael Dermot, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

Dozens of MI5 agents to testify in Real IRA trial

23 October 2009
Intelligence News
Ian Allen

Over 30 agents of MI5, Britain’s primary domestic intelligence agency, will be anonymously giving evidence at a scheduled trial of three men arrested in connection with a Real IRA international gun smuggling operation.

The men, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Dermot Declan Gregory, and Desmond Paul Kearns, all from County Armagh in Northern Ireland, were arrested after a yearlong infiltration operation by MI5, involving the use of informants and surveillance equipment.

The latter resulted in nearly 90 hours of recorded conversations, which the court said will take “months to transcribe”. Additionally, 35 MI5 agents have so far applied to give evidence in court, their identity concealed behind screens.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Desmond Kearns, Desmond Paul Kearns, Informer, MI5, Michael Dermot, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

Spies testify on 'Real IRA sting'

23 October 2009
BBC News

Thirty five MI5 officers are to give evidence against three County Armagh men arrested after an operation against the Real IRA, a court has heard.

The trio pleaded not guilty at Belfast Crown Court to the charges, linked to what police believe was an international gun-smuggling operation.

The officers have applied to give evidence anonymously behind screens.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Dermot Declan Gregory, Dermot Gregory, Desmond Kearns, Desmond Paul Kearns, MI5, Michael Dermot, Panda Restaurant, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

Two men quizzed in Irish murder

26 September 2009
The Portugal News Online

Police confirmed last Thursday that two men, aged 19 and 26 had been arrested in Lagos (about 20 kilometres from Alvor) by Portuguese detectives in connection with the murder of Irishman Paul Houston. The two men are believed to have been preparing to travel by bus to Lisbon before flying to Brazil. Their nationalities have not been confirmed, though indications are they are Brazilian nationals. According to police, 15 detectives have been working day and night to track down the suspects.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Donegal, MI5, Portugal

Two in court over death of Irish tourist

17 September 2009
Herald
Tom Worden

TWO men appeared in court yesterday over the death of Irish businessman Paul Houston in Portugal. Police arrested the men, aged 19 and 26, on suspicion of homicide and robbery on Wednesday. Mr Houston (51) was attacked as he made his way home from a bar in the seaside town of Alvor on the Algarve. The father-of-four, who was on holiday with his wife and two friends, was found in a pool of blood with severe head wounds in the early hours of Sunday, September 6. The Judicial Police launched a manhunt which ended with the arrest of the two men, who are thought to be Brazilian.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Donegal, MI5, Panda Restaurant, Portugal

Murder probe into Algarve death of businessman

8 Sept. 2009
Herald

A murder investigation is now under way in Portugal following the death of a Derry businessman in the Algarve yesterday. Paul Houston (51) had been on a golfing holiday with his wife and friends in the village of Alvor. His body was found lying in the street at around 5am yesterday. Mr Houston ran a designer shoe store in Derry. It is thought he had been beaten to death in what may have been an attempted robbery and police are awaiting the results of a post mortem.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Donegal, MI5, Portugal

MI5 agent forced to give evidence

26 June 2009
The Irish News
Barry McCaffrey

A MI5 agent will be arrested and forced to appear in court if he refuses to give evidence at the trial of two Co Armagh men accused of Real IRA weapons-smuggling, Belfast Magistrates Court heard yesterday. Lurgan men Desmond Kearns (44) and Paul Anthony McCaugherty (43) are due to go on trial later this year in connection with an alleged plot to ship arms to the north from mainland Europe between May 2005 and June 2006. They were arrested after a three-year MI5 'sting' involving two undercover agents codenamed 'Amir' and 'Ali'.

Continue Reading... Labels: Alison Kearns, Alvor, Amir, Desmond Kearns, Desmond Paul Kearns, MI5, Paul Anthony John McCaugherty, Paul McCaugherty, Portugal, Real IRA

He'd been to Maddy resort: Cops want to trace his van

25 May 2009
Daily Mirror
Ryan Parry and Stephen Moyes


The couple who raised the alarm about paedophile Ray Hewlett told yesterday how detectives who interviewed them asked: "Do you still have his mobile number."

Alan and Cindy Thompson were questioned for three hours at the weekend by officers from Leicestershire Police's Madeleine McCann task force. Cindy, who handed over the foreign number, said yesterday: "The detective who interviewed me asked for Ray's number. He didn't say what they'll do with it, I just hope it helps in some way."

Continue Reading... Labels: Alvor, Madeleine McCann, MI5, Portugal, Real IRA

Gordon Brown FSS Lab 17 June 2008

The PM visits the Forensic Science Service London Laboratory
17 June 2008

Continue Reading...

Spies and their lies

1 October 2007
David Rose
New Statesman
British intelligence has long used clandestine "undeniable briefings" to release information real and false to tame hacks including David Rose...

My secret life began, as if scripted by P G Wodehouse, with an invitation to tea at the Ritz. The call came at the end of the first week of May 1992. I was the Observer's home affairs correspondent, and at the other end of the line was a man we shall call Tom Bourgeois, special assistant to "C", Sir Colin McColl, the then chief of the Secret Intelligence Service. SIS (or MI6, as it is more widely known) was "reaching out" to selected members of the media, Bourgeois explained, and over lunch a few days earlier with McColl, my editor, Donald Trelford, had suggested that I was a reliable chap - not the sort, even years later, to betray a confidence by printing an MI6 man's real name. Would I like an informal, off-the-record chat? You bet I would. "I make no apologies for the cliché," Bourgeois said, "since we do need a way to spot each other. I will be in the lobby, with a rolled-up copy of the Times."

Continue Reading... Labels: MI5, MI6, Panda Restaurant, Real IRA