Friday, June 18, 2010

Northumbria Police are not telling the truth in Martin McGartland

Martin McGartland - Northumbria Police; " ... an intelligence cock-up ..." "... I always wonder why I got the call..."

"Draw your own conclusions somewhere between stitch up, casual attention to detail, or human error. That, to me, remains as big a story as who shot him." etc.

Here Here Tony. Tony Horne was more fortunate than I because I too remember that night vivdly and I had called the Alan Robson show when I was highlighting my case as he was given police escort on the night at a time when I was pleading with Northumbria Police for any sort of help, protection, after Northumbria Police had exposed my identity by reading mmy name, home address, out in open court and which were printed in national newspapers for all to see. Thank you to Tony Horne for taking time to write his piece on the subject and although his article is very accurate, there are a few areas that I am happy to clarify, first being I was not in any shape or form a "double agent", that would mean I would have been an IRA terrorist who for whatever reason had been turned, blackmailed or in some way won over by the security services. No, I was at no time before or during my infiltration of the IRA either a member of the organisation or even a sympathiser, I was recruited by the security services for the purpose of infiltrating the IRA and to forwarn security services about all the workings, planning of future bombings, shootings and other attacks which were being discussed or planned.

Secondly, I have never lived in Canada at any time, this was just something which originated as a result of the film, Fifty Dead Men Walking, of which I had absolutely nothing to do with, in fact I took legal action against film makers and I and my solicitors sought and won changes to the film and also we ensured that legal disclaimers appeared at the bginning and also at the ending of the film, which makes it known that I was not in any way connected or involved with the film and that it was not a true account of my life story nor of my book of the same name. I was also paid damages and also compensation by the film makers. I have been on record stating that the film is as Near To The Truth As Earth Is To Pluto. I also said that the film is 90% total fiction.

To this day, 11 years after my attempted murder, Northumbria Police cointinue with their cover-up in my 1999 case. Northumbria Police are also covering up IRA involvment in my case. Northumbria Police are failing to tell the truth when dealing with my case.


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Tony Horne column, June 18 2010

Jun 18 2010 Tony Horne

CHILLING. That’s the word I would use to describe my state of mind in the last 24 hours. Not chilling out, but chilling as in spine-chilling.

I heard yesterday morning that Northumbria Police have renewed their appeal for information into the Whitley Bay shooting of Martin McGartland in 1999.

God, I remember that day. It hasn’t been on my mind much since but it is dominating my thoughts today.

In the summer of 1997, I hosted Alan Robson’s Night Owls show for two weeks on Metro Radio. It was only the second time in my professional career that I had hosted a talk show.

It went well, but I was out of my depth. At about 11.20, or maybe 12.20, I took a call from Mr McGartland. I didn’t have a clue who he was.

As you may know by now, he was an IRA double agent who went on to tell his amazing story of saving lives in Fifty Dead Men Walking, including the story of his own escape from an IRA execution by jumping from a third-floor window.

His new identity as Martin Ash was blown by Northumbria Police who prosecuted him on driving offences, one of which was holding driving licences in different names. This, you have to say, is an intelligence cock-up.

He spoke on our show for about 20 minutes. I listened, barely interrupting. In my inexperience, I had given him a political platform. Afterwards, I didn’t say another word on the radio and was given a police escort home. Though that’s not true as I was only escorted to where the Angel is now, since I became County Durham’s constabulary’s problem after that. I couldn’t sleep that night. The story was still spinning in my head.

Fast forward to yesterday 11 years ago, and I get a phone call around 9am whilst I am on the radio.

I’m summarising but I swear the words included: “I have some information about a friend of yours, Martin McGartland who has just been shot in Whitley Bay”. Well, we weren’t friends, clearly.

I knew it was a massive story and within an hour papers in Belfast were ringing me. Of course, it is an old trick for the media to be tipped off before the police, but when I think about this story, I always wonder why I got the call.

Was that random chance or was I linked to him in someone’s mind?

Even back then in an era of much less media, you would have to do pretty well to remember that I had stood in for eight shows on a night time phone-in two years previously.

I don’t recall the accent of the phone call breaking the shooting news, but I think it was local rather than Irish.

Clearly by this point his identity was widely known in Whitley Bay. You have to ask to this day, how on earth someone who had been re-invented and relocated for his own safety, was then shopped over a motoring offence?

Draw your own conclusions somewhere between stitch up, casual attention to detail, or human error. That, to me, remains as big a story as who shot him.

Google him, and you’ll see that he disowned the film of his life story but was doing publicity for it only 18 months ago. In the movie, he is now living in Canada.

I think I can safely say, as I reflect on that day, that Martin McGartland is therefore not living in Canada.

Link:- http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/entertainment-in-newcastle/tony-horne/2010/06/18/tony-horne-column-june-18-2010-72703-26680546/