Man jailed for hiding gun gloves

A forensic expert at the scene of Mr Cully's murder

A man who admitted hiding a pair of gloves worn by a loyalist murderer has been jailed for a year.

James Clarke, 49, from Stirling Avenue, Newtownards, admitted assisting the killers of Andrew Cully.

Mr Cully, 47, died after being shot 10 times in the town's West Winds estate as he sat in his car in 2004.

Belfast Crown Court judge Lord Justice Shiel said while he police did not believe Clarke was involved in the murder, his offence warranted jail.

"It is because of the actions of you, and people like you, who are prepared to assist offenders by taking possession of incriminating evidence from those involved in serious crime, that those responsible therefore are often not apprehended and evade justice," he said.

A previous hearing had heard the father-of-two was sitting in his parked car at Beaufort Walk when he was shot 10 times from close range on 24 March.

'Suspicions'

Clarke, an unemployed joiner with an address near the murder scene, was originally charged with the murder but pleaded guilty to assisting the killers by hiding a pair of gloves.

During follow-up searches after the murder, police found a pair of gloves in Clarke's house which had bullet discharge on them.

When questioned, Clarke claimed he had nothing to do with the killing and had found the gloves lying on waste ground the previous Christmas.

When making his plea in mitigation a defence barrister said on the night of the murder, Clarke had been told to "be at home" but did not know exactly what was going to happen.

Lord Justice Shiel said that although there was no evidence that Clarke knew Mr Cully would be shot, "you suspected that some paramilitary UVF activity, involving the use of guns, was likely".

He added that even with those suspicions, Clarke "nevertheless... took possession of the gloves from the gunmen".