McFarlane goes to European court in bid to halt trial

MAZE prison escapee Brendan “Bik” McFarlane is to take the Government to the European Court of Human Rights in a bid to halt his trial for the 1983 kidnapping of supermarket boss Don Tidey.

Belfast-based McFarlane, 56, has already lodged an appeal to the Supreme Court against a 2006 High Court ruling which directed that a prosecution for his role in the kidnapping of Mr Tidey should proceed.

In the past few weeks, the European Court of Human Rights has asked the Government for its formal observations on the case. It is a sign that the Strasbourg-based court considers the McFarlane case to have considerable merit, although it will await the Government’s response as well as the outcome of the applicant’s Supreme Court appeal before a decision on whether to proceed to a full hearing is taken.