Torrens Knight
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Torrens Knight | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 August 1969 |
| Organization | Ulster Defence Association |
| Movement | Northern Ireland loyalist |
| Criminal charges | Greysteel massacre, Castlerock killings |
| Criminal penalty | 12 life sentences, Maze Prison |
| Criminal status | Released after seven years, part of Good Friday Agreement |
Robert Torrens Knight (born 4 August 1969) is a Northern Ireland loyalist, who belonged to the North Antrim and Londonderry Brigade of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).[1] In 1993 he took part in two mass murders in County Londonderry: the Greysteel massacre (in which eight civilians were shot dead) and the Castlerock killings (in which three civilians and a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) member were killed). After being convicted — along with three others — for the killings, he served seven years in the Maze Prison before his release in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
Knight spent his formative years living at his grandmother's farmhouse in the rural area of Aghadowey, County Londonderry, after his parents separated. In early adulthood he developed an addiction to poker gambling machines, which resulted in his exposure of stealing money from his grandmother to fund his habit. As a result of this, he was asked to leave the home and moved to the town of Portstewart, County Londonderry. Living with a loyalist, he started drinking alcohol and involving himself with criminality.[2]
Paramilitary activity
His initial starting point within loyalism was selling a magazine for a loyalist prisoners' association. He progressed to the ranks of the UDA and carried out acts like robberies and punishment beatings. Knight was part of a four-man UDA group sent to conduct an attack in revenge for the Shankill Road bombing. Their target was the Rising Sun bar in Greysteel, where Knight, Stephen Irwin, Jeffrey Deeney and Brian McNeill shot eight dead (six Catholics and two Protestants). After the leading gunman, Irwin shouted "trick or treat", he and Deeney raked the bar with gunfire, while Knight, armed with a shotgun, stood at the door. A total of 19 other people were injured. McNeill was the driver of one of the cars used after the shootings. The attack was claimed by the "Ulster Freedom Fighters" (UFF), a cover name used by the UDA.[3]
Knight was given eight life sentences for his part in the Greysteel killings and a further four more for the killings in Castlerock. He served seven years in the Maze Prison before paramilitary prisoners were granted a general release under the Good Friday Agreement in 2000.[4][5][6]
Allegations of being an informant
According to David McKittrick, there had been rumours that Knight had been a police informer.[5] Suspicions have been voiced by John Dallat, a member of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).[5] Dallat, who said he was in touch with police about Knight before the attacks in Greysteel and Castlerock, claimed they might have been prevented since it was known Knight was an extremist.[5]
In 2000 Knight attracted the attention of staff at a bank where he was withdrawing large amounts of money from an account into which £50,000 a year was being paid.[5] The bank's concern was that Knight was involved in money laundering, but, when police were contacted, an assurance was given that everything was in order.[5] The money was said to be from a Scottish engineering firm, but the account was quickly closed down.[5][7]
Police ombudsman Nuala O'Loan investigated Dallat's claim that police had prior information about Greysteel, stating that there was no evidence this was the case. She also stated that Knight's conviction and sentence led her to believe that he was not being protected by police, but added that it was beyond her remit to investigate whether or not he was a paid informer.[8]