Declan Duffy
Declan Duffy, also known as Declan "Whacker" Duffy, is a former paramilitary and convicted criminal.
Early life
He is originally from Armagh.[1]
Paramilitary involvement
He joined the Irish National Liberation Army while still a teenager in the 1980s.[1]
In 1999 he and several members of the INLA took six members of a criminal gang hostage.[1] They held them at the Ballymount industrial estate.[1] One hostage managed to use their mobile phone to call others and in the resulting fight, INLA member Patrick Campbell was stabbed and died.[1]
In 2008 members of the INLA headed by Duffy carried out four attacks on members a gang headed by Freddie Thompson.[2]
In May 2009 he pleaded guilty to membership of the organisation and also dissociated himself from it.[3]
In July 2010 he pleaded guilty to the 1992 murder of Sergeant Michael Newman in Derby.[4]
Subsequent criminal career
He was arrested in July 2015 in Dublin in connection with allegations of extortion.[5]
On 5 December 2015 he was arrested in connection with the abduction of Martin Byrne.[6] He was convicted of false imprisonment on 6 June 2016.[6] He had been released on licence in Northern Ireland,[when?] but this was revoked after his conviction.[further explanation needed][6] He was extradited to the UK in 2020 after his sentence was served in the Republic.[why?][6]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Declan Duffy: A life of violence". BBC News. 2010-07-22. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ^ McCaffrey, Mick (2008-06-22). "Gangland feud to explode, senior gardaí warn". Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ "Former INLA Dublin leader dissociates himself from organisation". Irish Examiner. 2009-05-08. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ^ "Former paramilitary admits 1992 Derby soldier murder". BBC News. 2010-07-22. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ^ "Gangland leader Declan 'Whacker' Duffy arrested in Dublin". The Herald. 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ^ a b c d Reynolds, Eoin (2020-06-02). "Judge orders extradition of Declan 'Whacker' Duffy to UK". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2023-06-05.