Second man charged in relation to loyalist shooting

A second man has been charged with trying to kill top loyalist Mark Haddock.

The 29-year-old suspect will appear before magistrates in Belfast later today accused of attempting to murder.

He is also to be reported to the Public Prosecution Service for alleged membership of the outlawed Ulster Volunteer Force – which has been blamed for shooting Haddock.

Police investigating the attack last Tuesday made their latest arrest in Antrim on Monday night.

Haddock, 37, was shot six times after getting out of his car for a meeting in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim.

He had been out on bail while on trial for the attempted killing of a nightclub doorman when the gunman struck. His alleged role as a Special Branch agent is believed to have been the motive for the attempt on his life.

Haddock’s one-time most trusted friend, Darren Moore, 36, of Mount Vernon Park in North Belfast, a UVF-controlled area once run by Haddock, denies the attempted murder charge.

Haddock remains seriously ill in hospital following the shooting, which came as a major report is finalised into allegations that police Special Branch officers allow loyalist paramilitary killers to operate without fear of prosecution.

He is believed to have been the focus for the inquiry by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan.