Defiant McKevitt vows to fight landmark terror conviction

REAL IRA mastermind Michael McKevitt remained defiant last night as he prepared to appeal his landmark conviction for directing terrorism.

His wife, Bernadette Sands McKevitt, read out a statement outside Portlaoise Prison, saying her husband had been denied a fair trial and would appeal the judgment. She described the conviction as a "political decision".

"My husband has refuted those allegations and will continue to refute those allegations and he intends to take this further," she said. "The court case that took place was nothing more than a show trial."