Greysteel killer back serving life: Licence taken away after football attack

Paddy McGuffin | Tuesday, 1 November 2005 Source: Belfast Telegraph

Greysteel 'trick or treat' killer Stephen Irwin will now have to serve out eight life sentences for his part in the Greysteel massacre after slashing a football fan with a Stanley knife, it can be revealed today.

Irwin is set to become one of the few prisoners freed under the Good Friday Agreement to be returned to jail to serve the remainder of a life sentence.

The 32-year-old, originally from Londonderry, still has a right to appeal – although he has not responded to two previous chances to appeal.

Irwin made headlines again last week when he was convicted and sentenced to four years for slashing a Glentoran fan with a knife during a brawl at Windsor Park during last year's Irish Cup final.

Irwin, along with fellow UFF members Torrens Knight, Jeffrey Deeney and Brian McNeill, carried out the infamous murders in the Rising Sun bar on Halloween weekend 12 years ago.

Eight revellers were gunned down in cold blood in the bar on October 30, 1993 and Irwin was the brute who shouted 'Trick or Treat' before the killers opened fire.

The murders devastated the small village and sickened the wider community.

Irwin was given eight life sentences for his role in the slaughter and showed no remorse, laughing as he was led from the court.

He was released under the Good Friday Agreement on life licence in 2000 but he was arrested in connection with the stabbing claim last year, and the Sentence Review Commission today confirmed his licence was revoked by the then Secretary of State Paul Murphy.

The former UFF man, who also has links to neo-Nazi group Combat 18, was given leave to appeal the decision but declined to do so, according to the Sentence Review Commission spokesman.

While it is understood he still has the right to appeal, prison bosses today confirmed that, when he finishes the sentence for the Stanley knife slashing that left a victim needing 200 stitches, he will continue to serve his terms for the Greysteel massacre.

A spokesman for the Life Sentence Review Commission spokesman said: "Stephen Irwin had his licence revoked by the Secretary of State in July 2004.

"This recent slashing charge means he will be in jail until next year at least, immediately he finishes this sentence he will begin serving the eight original life sentences handed down to him [for the Greysteel killings]."

He added that upon the revocation of his licence the Sentence Review Commission had written to Irwin to offer him the chance to appeal the decision.

"At that time the Commission wrote to Irwin informing him that he had the right to appeal, but received no response.

"Irwin was contacted twice more on the issue but no response was ever received. On the last occasion he was informed that the Commission had no further involvement."

This was supported by a spokesman for the Northern Ireland Prison Service who said: "I can confirm that Stephen Irwin is now serving eight life sentences, which take primacy over this more recent charge. He still has the right to appeal.

"The Sentencing Review Commission wrote to him a number of times asking him whether he wished to appeal and he did not respond, but he still retains that right."