Soldier's killer is jailed for life
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An Irish republican terrorist was jailed for life yesterday after he admitted the murder of a British soldier outside an Army recruitment office 18 years ago.
Sergeant Michael Newman, 34, was gunned down by the Irish National Liberation Army, an IRA splinter group, in Derby city centre on 14 April 1992. Declan Duffy, 36, who was brought to England from Northern Ireland to face the charge, pleaded guilty to murder when he appeared at Stafford Crown Court. He was jailed for life with a minimum of 24 years.
The INLA, which announced it was disbanding last year, admitted responsibility for Sgt Newman's killing at the time and even wrote to his family explaining that he had been shot as part of its fight with the British government.
Duffy, a former leader of the group who was named as a suspect along with two other INLA men, said last year he had decided to speak to the police after renouncing his links with the INLA. He said: "I would never have spoken to the police in the past but my war is over and there are things I have to get off my chest."