Paisley complains over QC remarks

Mr Paisley was accompanied at the High Court by his father, Ian Paisley.

Ian Paisley Jr has asked his solicitor to lodge a complaint with the Bar Council following remarks made about him by John Larkin QC.

Mr Larkin told the High Court the DUP MLA "wanted to be jailed" over his refusal to reveal the name of a source.

Mr Paisley was fined £5,000 when he refused to name a prison officer who he said told him files were destroyed following the murder of Billy Wright.

Earlier, Mr Paisley was told he would not be jailed if he refused to pay.

A judge said rather than jail him for three months, he would issue a warrant which could see goods or assets seized.

Mr Paisley said he intended to take the three months granted to him by the court to decide his options.

Billy Wright was murdered in the Maze Prison in 1997.

'Flippant'

Mr Larkin, the Billy Wright Tribunal's QC, told the court "brandishing custody before Mr Paisley is like brandishing a whip before Max Mosley."

On Tuesday, Mr Paisley called the remarks "flippant and nasty" and said Mr Larkin would come to regret them.

But on Wednesday, Mr Larkin told the court that counsel always acted on instructions and every client was entitled to the "zealous, independent service" of an advocate.

He said that service "should not be compromised by the popularity or unpopularity of the cause or by blandishments or menaces inside or outside the court".

"That's the basis I have conducted this case on behalf of the inquiry."

'Confidentiality'

Mr Paisley had refused to name the prison officer who told him about moves to scrap up to 5,600 files after the killing of Wright, the leader of the Loyalist Volunteer Force.

The inquiry, which is examining claims of collusion surrounding the killing, obtained the order against Mr Paisley in April.

He, however, insisted he could not break a pledge of confidentiality given to his informant and vowed to "take the name to his grave".

His counsel, Joseph Aiken, has confirmed legal costs alone would amount to more than £50,000.