Finucane murder accused is refused bail for his own safety

A LOYALIST accused of murdering solicitor Pat Finucane was refused bail yesterday at the High Court in Belfast.

The judge told 40-year-old Ken Barrett there was a serious risk to his own safety if he was granted bail.

He was arrested in England last week and was questioned in the north by the inquiry team headed by John Stevens probing the Finucane killing.

Mr Barrett denied murdering Pat Finucane in his north Belfast home in 1989 when the charges were put to him in Belfast Magistrates Court last Friday.

He has also disputed other charges covering membership of the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Freedom Fighters, weapons offences and the attempted murders of Thomas McCreery and Elizabeth McEvoy in January 1991.

He was remanded in custody until June 27.

During the bail application, the court was told Ken Barrett was under constant surveillance over the past 18 months while he was in exile in England.

Crown Prosecution lawyers said there were four planks of evidence being used against him.

These were conversations with a RUC detective sergeant, with reporters from the BBC’s Panorama programme and others acquired through surveillance.

Barrett’s home was bugged and conversations with his partner were recorded.

Taped conversations with two undercover police officers this year would also form the basis of the prosecution case, the High Court was told.