This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8173944.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Top lawyer Ferguson dies aged 73 | Top lawyer Ferguson dies aged 73 |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| One of Northern Ireland's most distinguished legal figures has died. Richard Ferguson QC, who practised in London, was 73. | One of Northern Ireland's most distinguished legal figures has died. Richard Ferguson QC, who practised in London, was 73. |
| He represented the likes of Brighton bomber Patrick Magee, Guinness boss Ernest Saunders and property tycoon Nicholas Van Hoogstraten. | He represented the likes of Brighton bomber Patrick Magee, Guinness boss Ernest Saunders and property tycoon Nicholas Van Hoogstraten. |
| He was born in Fermanagh and was a unionist member of the Stormont parliament. | He was born in Fermanagh and was a unionist member of the Stormont parliament. |
| He practised in Belfast before moving to London in 1983. | He practised in Belfast before moving to London in 1983. |
| During the early years of The Troubles he defended IRA men, loyalists and soldiers. At one point a bomb badly damaged his home. | During the early years of The Troubles he defended IRA men, loyalists and soldiers. At one point a bomb badly damaged his home. |
| In 2005 he told the BBC: "The best compliment I can pay to myself is that nobody can say which side planted the bomb." | In 2005 he told the BBC: "The best compliment I can pay to myself is that nobody can say which side planted the bomb." |
| On his move to London, he eventually became one of the most respected defence barristers in the business. | On his move to London, he eventually became one of the most respected defence barristers in the business. |
| The boxer Terry Marsh and REM guitarist Peter Buck were among those who called on his services. | The boxer Terry Marsh and REM guitarist Peter Buck were among those who called on his services. |
| One of his most notorious clients was Rose West, who went on trial in the autumn of 1995 accused of helping her late husband Fred murder 10 girls in their home in Gloucester. | One of his most notorious clients was Rose West, who went on trial in the autumn of 1995 accused of helping her late husband Fred murder 10 girls in their home in Gloucester. |
| West was jailed for life but Mr Ferguson questioned the legitimacy of her trial. | West was jailed for life but Mr Ferguson questioned the legitimacy of her trial. |
| He said: "There are certain cases where the enormity of the alleged crimes is such that it is virtually impossible to get a jury to look at the facts dispassionately. [She] did not get a fair trial because the media, in advance of the trial, had hyped up the situation to such an extent that no jury could have judged her case dispassionately. | He said: "There are certain cases where the enormity of the alleged crimes is such that it is virtually impossible to get a jury to look at the facts dispassionately. [She] did not get a fair trial because the media, in advance of the trial, had hyped up the situation to such an extent that no jury could have judged her case dispassionately. |
| "Fred was dead and somebody had to be held responsible. If he'd been alive she might have been acquitted." | "Fred was dead and somebody had to be held responsible. If he'd been alive she might have been acquitted." |
| Kindness | Kindness |
| Mr Ferguson continued to practise until recently with his clients including British soldiers accused of war crimes in Iraq. | Mr Ferguson continued to practise until recently with his clients including British soldiers accused of war crimes in Iraq. |
| This year he again took a brief in Northern Ireland, representing the PSNI at the public inquiry into the murder of Robert Hamill. | This year he again took a brief in Northern Ireland, representing the PSNI at the public inquiry into the murder of Robert Hamill. |
| He was head of Carmelite Chambers. In a statement on its website his chamber's colleagues said he was: "universally respected and admired, his powerful advocacy, his personal warmth and kindness, are a great loss to the Bar collectively and to each of us in Chambers individually." | He was head of Carmelite Chambers. In a statement on its website his chamber's colleagues said he was: "universally respected and admired, his powerful advocacy, his personal warmth and kindness, are a great loss to the Bar collectively and to each of us in Chambers individually." |
| The legal affairs commentator Joshua Rozenberg told BBC Radio Ulster's TalkBack programme that Mr Ferguson was a "very popular man." | |
| "He was a very charismatic man in court, one of the guides to lawyers that is published said that 'he is God, he has the kind of voice that could read the jury the phone and they would listen." | |
| His funeral will be at Gray's Inn Chapel in London on Friday. | His funeral will be at Gray's Inn Chapel in London on Friday. |