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Billy Wright by a loyalist mural
Billy Wright: Predicted he would be killed by Republicans
From the BBC News archive
Ireland correspondent Denis Murray: "One of the most secure prisons in Europe - and a murder with guns inside"
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The Billy Wright murder 1997
The most notorious Maze killing happened on 27 December 1997 when three members of the INLA assassinated the leader of the Loyalist Volunteer Force Billy Wright. Wright had been linked to many sectarian killings of Catholics.
When he was jailed in April 1997, he was placed in a block also housing republicans - and they decided to take revenge.
The prisoners smuggled two guns into the H-Block and apprehended Wright as he was being transferred to the visitors' block, shooting him at least three times.
They then returned to their cells, handed the weapons to a priest and surrendered. One of the three said: "Billy Wright was executed … for directing and waging a campaign of terror against the nationalist people from his prison cell."
Not only did the death spark a row that threatened to topple the Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam, it rocked the fragile peace process as Wright’s former comrades carried out a series of revenge killings.


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