Jail riot claim settled

A compensation claim by a former Maze prison officer who was on duty the day a leading loyalist was murdered has been settled.

Belfast High Court heard that Raymond Mitchell had been on anti-depressants since the leader of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), Billy Wright, was shot dead at the prison.

Wright was killed by prisoners who belonged to the republican paramilitary group, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) on 23 December 1997.

Mr Mitchell said he had been caught between screaming rival factions following the murder at the jail.

The trauma he suffered led to his medical discharge from the Prison Service last December.

The Northern Ireland Office admitted liability but disputed the £350,000 damages claimed by Mr Mitchell who is now studying for a place at university.

The amount of damages which he received was not revealed.

Five other prison officers have already settled their claims on terms that were not disclosed.

The judge, Mr Justice Higgins, also asked about claims brought by a further eight prison officers arising out of the same incident.

A lawyer for the Northern Ireland Office indicated that these would probably be settled out of court.