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| Lawyer jailed for inciting murder | Lawyer jailed for inciting murder |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A Londonderry solicitor who pleaded guilty to inciting loyalist paramilitaries to murder has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. | A Londonderry solicitor who pleaded guilty to inciting loyalist paramilitaries to murder has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. |
| Manmohan 'Johnny' Sandhu, 44, also pleaded guilty to four charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice at Belfast Crown Court. | |
| The charges were brought after police secretly recorded his interviews with clients at Antrim police station. | The charges were brought after police secretly recorded his interviews with clients at Antrim police station. |
| The judge told him: "It was a wicked thing to incite men of violence." | |
| Mr Justice Deeny continued: "This was all the more so when you were a solicitor. | |
| "Such conduct must be deserving of a severe sentence." | |
| The charges against Sandhu, of Colby Avenue, arose from the attempted murder of taxi driver Jonathan Hillier in Newtownards in August 2005 and the murders of Jameson Lockhart and Andrew Cully. | The charges against Sandhu, of Colby Avenue, arose from the attempted murder of taxi driver Jonathan Hillier in Newtownards in August 2005 and the murders of Jameson Lockhart and Andrew Cully. |
| An earlier court hearing was told that Sandhu, who practised out of offices in Limavady, incited members of the UVF to murder Mr Hillier as he recovered in hospital in August 2005 from a failed attempt on his life. | |
| The prosecution said Sandhu phoned an unknown person from Antrim police station and indicated that Mr Hillier "should be taken out". | The prosecution said Sandhu phoned an unknown person from Antrim police station and indicated that Mr Hillier "should be taken out". |
| The lawyer also attempted to pervert the course of justice surrounding the investigation into the shooting. | The lawyer also attempted to pervert the course of justice surrounding the investigation into the shooting. |
| In another secret recording, Sandhu was overheard coaching his client, Christopher Dinsmore, who was accused of murdering Jameson Lockhart. | In another secret recording, Sandhu was overheard coaching his client, Christopher Dinsmore, who was accused of murdering Jameson Lockhart. |
| Mr Lockhart was shot as he sat in a lorry on the Lower Newtownards Road in Belfast in July 2005 during a power struggle between the UVF and LVF. | Mr Lockhart was shot as he sat in a lorry on the Lower Newtownards Road in Belfast in July 2005 during a power struggle between the UVF and LVF. |
| Sandhu told his client how to explain how gloves with cartridge discharge residue came to be seized from his house. | Sandhu told his client how to explain how gloves with cartridge discharge residue came to be seized from his house. |
| According to transcripts read at an earlier court hearing, Sandhu initially suggested Mr Dinsmore joined a rifle club to explain the residue, and then he suggested that he say they belonged to murdered UDA boss Jim Gray. | According to transcripts read at an earlier court hearing, Sandhu initially suggested Mr Dinsmore joined a rifle club to explain the residue, and then he suggested that he say they belonged to murdered UDA boss Jim Gray. |
| Mr Justice Deeny said Sandhu went far beyond his role as a legal advisor. | |
| "Reading the interviews the picture is not that of an officer of the court discharging his duty to his client but of an enthusiastic gang member." | |
| Sandhu has been suspended by the Law Society. |