Laptop of paramilitary murder inquiry barrister stolen

A laptop computer containing confidential information has been stolen from the London offices of a barrister involved in the public inquiry into the murder of loyalist paramilitary Billy Wright.

The computer contained details of a number of people in the North, who are now being notified of the theft.

The Northern Ireland Office said it was informed during the weekend that the computer had been taken from the private chambers of the lawyer representing the Northern Ireland Prison Service at the inquiry.

A statement said: "The laptop stolen from the barrister's chambers contained confidential and legally privileged information in connection with the inquiry, including some details about a number of individuals in Northern Ireland.

"Those individuals are being notified and the potential implications of the theft are being assessed with them, in consultation with the Crown Solicitor's Office and the PSNI."

The Billy Wright Inquiry and the Information Commissioner have also been informed.

Wright, the 37-year-old leader of the loyalist Volunteer Force, was shot dead inside the Maze Prison in 1997 by members of the republican Irish National Liberation Army.

The public inquiry into the murder of Wright was one of several set up by the British Government in 2004 amid allegations of security force collusion in the deaths.

Scottish Law Lord Ranald MacLean was appointed to head the inquiry, which has yet to start hearing witness evidence because of delays in gathering evidence.

The theft of the computer was revealed as the inquiry sat in public for the first time since last autumn and MacLean announced he would start hearing evidence next week.

He used a brief hearing to release a detailed and lengthy paper highly critical of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for its continued failure to hand over documents requested by the panel.

It made clear it did not necessarily believe the reasons the PSNI gave for not producing the documents asked for.