Free Kieran Milnes campaign relaunched

Protestors picketing the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Belfast on Tuesday 1 November called for the immediate release of West Belfast man Kieran Milnes. Milnes was imprisoned for assaulting a teenager who was attempting to steal his girlfriend's car in Poleglass on October 2002. He was given a nine months sentence after being found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the teenager.

Milnes who pleaded guilty at his original trial claimed that his guilty plea was involuntary as he was given bad legal advice.

Sinn Féin Assembly member Michael Ferguson, who is supporting Milnes, told An Phoblacht that he has written to the Attorney General as well as the DPP to highlight the case. "We have asked the Attorney General Peter Goldsmith and the Belfast DPP Alistair Fraiser to intervene in the Public Interest and to immediately free Kieran.

"Kieran lost his home, his job and his freedom and has not been able to recover any of these things given the possibility of re-imprisonment and all because he tried to stop thieves from taking his girlfriend's car from his own home."

Ferguson said the Attorney General and the DPP need to instruct the courts on 21 November, the date set for the re-trial, to free Milnes so he can get on with his life.