13 May 1999 Edition
Duffy in ``trumped up'' conviction
``This is just another twist in the RUC's campaign against Collie Duffy'', said Sinn Féin Assembly member for Upper Bann Dara O'Hagan, commenting on the latest conviction against the well-known Lurgan republican, whom was found guilty on Wednesday 12 May on what she said were ``trumped up'' charges of assaulting RUC officers.
Duffy was sentenced to four months imprisonment on charges that arose out of an incident that occurred in the early hours of 17 November 1997 in Lurgan.
Duffy, along with compaonions Sonia Conlon, Vincie Hamill and Anne Hamill, left a Lurgan bar where they had been celebrating the christianing of Duffy's baby daughter Sinead when an RUC car pulled up and its occupants attacked the group.
Within hours, Duffy was charged with grevious bodily harm by the RUC who released statements to the media claiming that the Lurgan man and his friends were the instigators of the attack. Duffy was given a custodial sentence at Craigavon magistrates court while Vincie Hamill and Sonia Conlon were handed three- and four-month suspended sentences respectively. Duffy has appealed and will remain on bail until the appeal hearing next month.
Duffy was sentenced to four months imprisonment on charges that arose out of an incident that occurred in the early hours of 17 November 1997 in Lurgan.
Duffy, along with compaonions Sonia Conlon, Vincie Hamill and Anne Hamill, left a Lurgan bar where they had been celebrating the christianing of Duffy's baby daughter Sinead when an RUC car pulled up and its occupants attacked the group.
Within hours, Duffy was charged with grevious bodily harm by the RUC who released statements to the media claiming that the Lurgan man and his friends were the instigators of the attack. Duffy was given a custodial sentence at Craigavon magistrates court while Vincie Hamill and Sonia Conlon were handed three- and four-month suspended sentences respectively. Duffy has appealed and will remain on bail until the appeal hearing next month.