August 3, 2008 37
SPECIAL
NAMED: Paul ‘Chico’ Hamilton (above)
and Jim ‘Filter Tip’ McCarthy (below)
By JOHN CASSIDY
A SENIOR female PSNI
detective on the trail of
organised crime gangs is
now spearheading a police
probe into the abduction of
IRA agent Martin McGartland.
Det. Supt Karen Baxter is to fly
to London shortly to re-interview
Special Branch spy McGartland
over his kidnapping by Jim ‘Fil-
ter Tip’ McCarthy and Paul
‘Chico’ Hamilton 17 years ago
McGartland – codenamed ‘Agent
Carol’ – has claimed neither were
charged with his abduction because
they were both working as highly
paid security force agents inside the
IRA’s so-called ‘Nutting Squad.
Last month, two detectives from
Antrim Road CID flew to England and
interviewed McGartland at a top securi-
ty London police station.
However, the 38-year-old was informed
this week that his complaint has now
been handed over to the specialist
Crime Operations Branch based at
Knocknagoney in east Belfast.
Informed
“I was informed on Tuesday by Antrim
Road CID that the matter was being dis-
cussed that afternoon with Crime Opera-
tions Branch,” McGartland said.
“The following day I was told that Det.
Supt Karen Baxter of Crime Operations
Branch was now in charge of my complaint.
“She has appointed a detective inspec-
tor at Crime Operations to review all the
files on my case before comes to see me.
“Even though I have already given a
statement to Antrim Road CID, Supt Bax-
ter said she will be personally coming to
London to take a much more detailed
statement from me about my abduction.’’
The files to be reviewed will be the orig-
inal CID investigation into his kidnap-
ping along with top secret Special Branch
intelligence files on his abduction.
On August 7, 1991, McGartland was at
his mother’s west Belfast home when a
woman he knew as ‘Carol’, an IRA mes-
senger in her 20s, called to tell him:
“You have to go and see Padraig Wil-
son at Connolly House…at ten
tomorrow morning.’’
Connolly House was Sinn Fein’s
headquarters in west Belfast and
Padraig Wilson was head of the
IRA’s Civil Administration Team,
its internal discipline depart-
ment.
McGartland suspected trou-
REPORT
TOP ’TEC TO
QUIZ SPY ON
MURDER BID
Crime gang boffin to head McGartland case
ble and headed home to use a secret SB two IRA members, Jim ‘Filter Tip’
radio to contact his handler McCarthy and Paul ‘Chico’ Hamilton who
‘Felix’ to seek his advice. told him the meeting venue was
He told his handler: changed.
“Felix, I am in loads of He decided to go with them and
trouble…’’ the three left Connolly House in a
In his book, Fifty Dead waiting car driven by McCarthy
Men Walking, he details which “sped’’ off faster than
how he went to Connolly McGartland had expected to
House only after ‘Felix’ Broom Park in Twinbrook.
assured him of his
safety.
Kitchen
When he went the After spending a few minutes
following day, he inside the flat, McCarthy, Hamil-
was met ton and a third unnamed man
b y came out of the kitchen.
“Listen,’’ said Jim, “Provisional
IRA. You’re under arrest.’’
Writes McGartland: “I could see
them shaking. Then McCarthy
pulled out a hand gun and said
‘Lie face down on the floor
and don’t try anything’
as I felt the stub of
the automatic
p u s h e d
against my
head.’’
After
SPY: Martin McGartland
ON YER BIKE -
IN CHARGE: Det. OR NOT FOR
Supt Karen Baxter
DIM THIEVES
By STAFF REPORTER
DOZY burglars who broke
into a motorcycle shop
were forced to dump a
machine they stole – as it
had no petrol!
The owner of the
Ballymoney business, who
lives in the same building,
was woken last weekend to
the sound of breaking glass.
When he went to
investigate, he discovered
that the 12ftx6ft front
window of McKillop’s had
been smashed.
Breeze
The culprits used breeze
blocks to gain entry to the
Derrykeighan premises
before making off with a
Hyosung 125cc motorcycle.
During the course of the
burglary, a foot peg and a
wing mirror were broken
off the vehicle.
A short time later, the bike
was recovered from a ditch
close to the scene of the theft.
A number of items were
removed from the shop for
forensic examination.
“This was either highly
unprofessional or a
drunken escapade,” a
police spokesman said.
“We are pursuing an
active line of enquiry at
the moment.”
POLICE BRING
HOME DRUNK
12 YEAR OLD
By STAFF REPORTER
A 12-YEAR-OLD boy had
to be taken home by police
after he was found drunk
in the street.
The youngster was
discovered staggering
alone through the streets
of Ballymoney last Friday
night.
A concerned member of
the public contacted police
who picked him up in the
Castlecroft area around
8.30pm.
Officers found the child
was drunk and took him
home but he had no
alcohol on him and refused
to say where he had been
drinking.
Less than 24 hours later,
four 17-year-old girls were
found with alcohol in the
Seymour Drive area.
The four girls and the 12-
removing his trainers and emptying his
year-old have been
reported to the local PSNI
Youth Diversion Officer.
“There is underage
drinking in Ballymoney
pockets, he was forced to lie down on the and in many other towns.
sofa. It’s almost a cultural thing
“Every few minutes ‘Chico’ would in this area,” a PSNI
remind me: ‘Remember Marty, we have spokesman said.
got a gun, so don’t try anything.’’ Concerns
Desperate to go to the toilet, McGart-
land asked his captors to use the bath- “We would have serious
room and it was here he made good his concerns about a 12-year-
escape, jumping 40ft from a window to old being drunk.”
the ground below. But the spokesman added
that police could tackle the
He was later taken to hospital but was
spirited out off an intensive care ward to problem of underage
Palace Barracks where he was debriefed drinking on their own.
by Special Branch. “Educating young people
McGartland said he believed neither is the key and we also
‘Filter Tip’ McCarthy nor ‘Chico’ Hamil- need the help of parents
ton were arrested because they were also who have a lot of
British agents. responsibility to bear
“They went across the border after my regarding where young
abduction and were never arrested for people are and what they
questioning, even though the RUC knew are doing.’’
they had abducted me,’’ said McGart- “The licensed premises
land. are not always to blame.
“They should not be allowed to get Often older people in the
away abducting someone and get on with group are buying the
drink.
their lives as if nothing happened.”
“Our message is that if
john.cassidy@nth.sundayworld.com you buy drink for
youngsters we will throw
the full weight of the law
at you.”