Kincora home abuse survivor settles claim that paedophile housemaster was protected as MI5 agent
A survivor of abuse at the notorious Kincora Boys' Home has obtained an undisclosed settlement over claims that a paedophile housemaster was protected from prosecution because of his status as an MI5 agent.
Gary Hoy's legal action against the PSNI and home secretary was resolved on confidential terms at the High Court in Belfast on Monday.
The 63-year-old declared afterwards: 'This case was never about the money, it was about holding them to account.'
Mr Hoy sought damages for the ordeal he endured after being sent to the now-demolished children's home in east Belfast during the 1970s.
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At the centre of the action was the role played by senior member of staff William McGrath.
McGrath was jailed in 1981 for abusing boys as part of a paedophile ring that operated within the care facilities.
The former housemaster, who died in the early 1990s, also held a leading position in the far-right loyalist movement Tara.
Lawyers for Mr Hoy claimed the authorities enabled him to target vulnerable young victims so that more information about the grouping could be obtained.
The alleged liability went as far as actively obstructing RUC officers from investigating and pursuing McGrath specifically due to his role as an MI5 agent, it was contended.
Claims for negligence and misfeasance in public office were advanced as part of wider actions against the PSNI, home office and department of health.
The defendants disputed responsibility for any violation in the duty of care to those targeted at Kincora, which closed in 1980 and was finally demolished in 2022.
A three-day trial was due to begin today, but counsel for Mr Hoy announced that proceedings had been settled on confidential terms.
No further details were disclosed, and no admission of liability was made as part of the resolution.
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Irish Post
21 hours ago
- Irish Post
Kneecap respond to PM's claims that Glastonbury set is not ‘appropriate'
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Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Kneecap's provocative poster campaign very much on-brand
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Irish immigrants to London in the 1950s and 1960s reported seeing 'No blacks, no dogs, no Irish' signs in boarding-house windows and it's a phrase that lives in the memory, thick with racism and bigotry. Robertson's agency, The Tenth Man, created the campaign and its instinctive alignment with the group's public image comes from a history of collaboration that goes back to 2018, long before the rap trio's fame exploded beyond Belfast. That was the year the agency was established in Dublin by Robertson and fellow advertising creative Richard Seabrooke. From the start it set up an annual list to pick out 20 'culture makers' doing interesting, meaningful and impactful work. That's how Kneecap came on its radar. In the past seven years the agency has collaborated with the Irish language rappers on music videos and political campaigns. Probably its most provocative – and headline grabbing – idea for Kneecap before this billboard campaign was for the Sundance Film Festival last year. The trio – Mo Chara, DJ Próvaí, real name JJ Ó Dochartaigh and Móglaí Bap, real name Naoise Ó Cairealláin – arrived at the festival where its Irish language film Kneecap was premiering in a replica RUC Land Rover. According to Robertson it is a movie prop, sourced for the stunt from an American film studio. [ Kneecap should be commended rather than condemned Opens in new window ] It's not hard to imagine that whatever modest outlay it took to get it to the festival was recouped multiple times over in the media exposure it helped the rappers from Northern Ireland win in the US and back home. The Tenth Man funded the London billboards because 'it views this campaign not just as solidarity, but as a defence of cultural freedom in a time of rising political censorship'. It floated several ideas past Dan Lambert, Kneecap's manager and this was chosen as the most impactful. Before setting up the agency, Robertson spent 18 years at Paddy Power, the gambling giant now part of Flutter Entertainment. He was its first marketing executive in 1999 – given the title of head of mischief – and he went on to create numerous provocative and controversial campaigns often in immediate reaction to events in the news or popular culture. It's a dubious distinction – which he would be the first to admit – but he created the UK's most complained about advertisement with the 2015 campaign that featured Paralympian Oscar Pistorius then on trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. It offered punters their money back if he was cleared (he wasn't). Looking back at his work at Paddy Power, Robertson acknowledges that some of the campaigns 'haven't aged well' though he says the brand was the 'ultimate category challenger' with a target of mostly young men. The brief was to connect with them, often saying the things they thought but wouldn't say out loud. 'Am I 100 per cent proud of all the work [I did there]? No. What I did learn though is that there is a dotted line from that to Kneecap; to having the bravery to create a campaign that's provocative, that is going to land in the right place. It is always going to rub some people up the wrong way.' A knock-on benefit for The Tenth Man of creating such attention-grabbing messaging must also be the exposure it brings to the agency, which last year expanded into the UK with a London office. Its own logo is underneath the band's balaclava-inspired logo on the posters. The office in Spittalfields now employs six people while the Dublin office has grown to 60. The agency, he says, appeals to clients who value cultural relevance and want to communicate with a younger demographic. The brands it has done work for include Guinness, Rockshore, Jameson and Stella McCartney. 'We are known for our disruptive creative work across music, fashion and youth culture; we've built a reputation for backing artists who push against the grain.' [ Kneecap case: 'A woman pointed to a sniggering Móglaí Bap as the magistrate asked if anyone knew an Irish interpreter' Opens in new window ] A recent new business win is Three Ireland as the telecom's 'lead partner for creative channel marketing' (Boys and Girls is the company's brand agency). Concert goers who saw Kneecap last Thursday in Dublin's Fairview Park will also have seen the More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara visual. It was on pop-up billboards at the stage. So could it become part of the band's merchandise, for example on T-shirts? Why not, says Robertson, 'if someone wants to do it, please do. The message is there to be taken and amplified'. By the weekend Kneecap were still in the news with questions being asked in the UK as to whether the BBC would or should televise the rappers' upcoming Glastonbury set. The broadcaster then issued a statement saying filming will go ahead although its editorial guidelines, which among other things prohibit 'unjustifiably offensive language', must be adhered to. As to whether a publicity stunt similar to the London billboards is in the works for Glastonbury – it is after all a large audience – Robertson says nothing is planned, although an 'as yet' seems to hang in the air.
The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
Who are Palestine Action, and why is the UK government set to ban them as a terror threat?
THOUSANDS GATHERED IN Trafalgar Square, London today in a strong show of support for protest group Palestine Action. Thirteen were arrested. Next week, gatherings like this could become illegal. The UK government is expected to officially ban Palestine Action, a direct-action protest group known for its high-profile campaigns against global participation in Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. The group's direct-action tactics, including its recent infiltration of an RAF airbase, have prompted UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to begin the process of proscribing it under the Terrorism Act — a move that would make it illegal to support, fund, or be a member of the organisation. Cooper's move comes less than a week after Kneecap member Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) appeared in a London court facing terror-related charges . The Northern Irish rapper's case has further heightened tensions around what constitutes legitimate protest and the boundaries of activism, adding another layer of complexity to the UK government's crackdown on politically motivated groups. Critics of the plan to ban Palestine Action say free speech and the right to protest are under threat in the UK. So why is Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government coming down so hard on Palestine Action? Who are Palestine Action? Founded in 2020 by activists Huda Ammori and Richard Barnard, Palestine Action is a UK-based protest collective focused on targeting 'British complicity' in Israel's military operations – particularly through its campaign against Elbit Systems, Israel's largest arms manufacturer. The group accuses Elbit of supplying weapons and surveillance technology used against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Palestine Action is known for its disruptive, direct-action tactics, including occupations, vandalism, and blockades. Did you know there is a weapons factory in Newcastle which is owned by the Israeli government, headed up by a wanted war criminal? — Palestine Action (@Pal_action) May 27, 2025 Activists have thrown red paint over factory premises, defacing military property, and temporarily shut down operations at several Elbit-linked sites across the UK. The group has since evolved, and branches in other countries have formed – including Palestine Action Éire, who last month claimed responsibility for crashing a van through the perimeter fence of Shannon Airport . What sparked the recent controversy? The group made national headlines again this month after members gained access to a Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Oxfordshire, sprayed red paint on two military aircraft, and left the scene on e-scooters. BREAKING: Palestine Action break into RAF Brize Norton and damage two military aircrafts. Flights depart daily from the base to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. From Cyprus, British planes collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza. — Palestine Action (@Pal_action) June 20, 2025 The incident prompted an immediate counter-terrorism investigation and heightened calls from officials to crack down on what they describe as increasingly dangerous and unlawful actions. This has led the Home Office to begin considering a proscription order, which would place Palestine Action in the same legal category as armed groups like al-Qaeda or the IRA. If enacted, even verbal or symbolic support for the group could be punishable by up to 14 years in prison. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the vandalism as 'outrageous'. In a written statement today, UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the vandalism by Palestine Action activists was 'disgraceful' and the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'. 'I have decided to proscribe Palestine Action under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000,' Cooper said. Advertisement The Home Secretary claimed that the group's actions do not represent 'legitimate or peaceful protest'. A Palestine Action supporter at Trafalgar Square, London today. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'Regardless of whether [the RAF base protest] itself amounts to terrorism, such activity is clearly intimidatory and unacceptable. 'It is one that has been repeated many times by this organisation at sites the length and breadth of the UK,' she added. A draft proscription order will be formally presented to parliament by Cooper next Monday. If passed, it will make it illegal to be a member of, or invite support for, Palestine Action. Cooper is not isolated in her views. Met Police chief Mark Rowley said he was 'shocked and frustrated' by the plans for a protest in support of Palestine Action in central London today. The commissioner added that he believed the demostration in support of Palestine Action went 'beyond what most would see as legitimate protest.' Legal and public backlash The government's move has ignited significant legal and political debate. Critics argue that the group, while clearly engaging in unlawful activity, has not carried out violent attacks and does not pose a threat to public safety. Members of Palestine Action at a protest in Trafalgar Square. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo A number of public figures and previous UK ministers, including former Secretary of State for Justice Charlie Falconer, have questioned whether its actions meet the legal threshold for terrorism. Former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has also condemned the government's decision to ban Palestine Action. 'If the UK Government believes those protesting against the atrocities in Gaza are terrorists, but those killing children should be supported and provided with weapons, then this Government has not only lost its way, it has lost its conscience,' Yousaf said in a statement. Author Sally Rooney is among a number of prominent public figures defending the group. In a recent article , she drew a stark contrast between the government's reaction to Palestine Action and its response to the killing of 23 Palestinians by Israeli forces at an aid site — an event that took place on the same day as the RAF protest. Rooney argued that while Palestine Action's methods involve property damage, they pose no risk to life, and banning the group would set a dangerous precedent for free expression in the UK. 'Palestine Action is not an armed group,' Rooney wrote. 'It has never been responsible for any fatalities and does not pose any risk to the public… I admire and support Palestine Action wholeheartedly — and I will continue to, whether that becomes a terrorist offence or not.' Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn similarly said the UK government decision is 'as absurd as it is authoritarian'. 'It represents a draconian assault on the democratic right to protest – and is a disgraceful attempt to hide the real meaning of violence: the mass murder of Palestinians,' he added. What's next? If the group is proscribed as a terror organisation, it would mark the first time a UK-based protest movement focused on Palestine has been banned under terrorism legislation. Supporters of the group argue that the proposed ban reflects a broader attempt to silence dissent against British foreign policy. Palestine Action, for its part, has said it will not be deterred. 'We will not be intimidated into silence,' the group wrote in a recent statement. 'Our work will continue for as long as Britain supports Israel's war machine.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
