Stone questioned in PSNI probe into 1980s murder plots

Milltown Cemetery killer Michael Stone has been questioned about plots to murder prominent political figures during the 1980s, it emerged today.

Stone, who was jailed for murdering three mourners at an IRA funeral in 1988, was released without charge after being quizzed by detectives.

A police spokeswoman confirmed: “A man was arrested by police yesterday and released without charge.

“He was questioned about serious crime in Belfast and was released from police custody shortly after 9pm.”

Stone was questioned for eight hours at Antrim Police Station about plans to kill high profile targets, while he was operating as a freelance loyalist terrorist in the mid 1980s.

He claims he had admitted the murder conspiracies 17 years ago after being arrested for the Milltown Cemetery murders in March 1988.

It is believed his admission to police at that time involved plots to kill 11 people, including former then Taoiseach Charles Haughey, the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and former RUC Chief Constable John Hermon.

At the time he was only charged with three, including conspiring to kill Sinn Féin‘s Martin McGuinness and former Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Owen Carron.

Stone was convicted of murdering Coimhghin MacBradaign, John Murray and Thomas McErlean at the funerals of three IRA members killed by the SAS in Gibraltar.

Another 60 people were injured as Stone stormed through Milltown Cemetery in the Falls Road area, firing shots and hurling hand grenades.

He was released early under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, declaring “my war is over”.

In August 2000, he caused uproar when he shared a platform alongside convicted UFF commander Johnny “Mad Dog” Adair.

He has been pursuing a new career as an artist but hit the headlines two years ago when he wrote a book about his terrorist past.

Families of his victims bitterly complained Stone was profiting from the deaths of their loved ones.