Man shot by IRA is jailed for six years

First Edition

A man who was expelled from the IRA and later subjected to a punishment shooting was jailed for six years at Belfast Crown Court yesterday.

The court was told that Gerard Martin McGivern, 24, of Devenish Court, Belfast, was thrown out by the Provisionals for taking part in a break-in while searching for two brothers suspected of sex offences.

A Crown lawyer said McGivern and two others forced their way into a house in the Lower Falls area on 1 July 1991 armed with a baseball bat, breaking into an elderly woman's bedroom and ransacking the house.

McGivern was arrested last October and admitted he was the attacker armed with the bat. He also admitted being an IRA member for three years, the court was told.

While on bail in December, he and two other men robbed a supermarket of nearly 6,000 while holding the owner and staff at gunpoint.

He admitted aggravated burglary, IRA membership, criminal damage and armed robbery.

The court was told that McGivern was expelled from the 1RA because the break-in had not been sanctioned by them, and had been shot in the knees and ankles a month after the robbery. He was now severely handicapped.

Judge Frank Russell said he was not interested that McGivern had been shot and told him his actions of breaking into an elderly woman's home at the dead of night, placing her in fear and terror, and smashing her furniture was inexcusable.