Michael Stone: The life and crimes of the notorious loyalist gunman

Originally a member of a street gang in Braniel estate before being associated with the UDA and Red Hand Commando, Stone was well known in loyalist circles as a gun for hire.

He first hit the headlines in March 1988 after launching a gun and bomb attack in the Milltown cemetery in west Belfast, killing three people.

His targets were mourners at the funerals of three IRA members shot dead by the SAS in Gibraltar.

He was sent to the Maze prison for three counts of murder before being released in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Once inside the prison, he became one of the five leaders of the ‘Ulster Freedom Fighters’ prisoners.

In November 2006 he carried out a foiled attack on Stormont which he claimed was ‘performance art’.

After the attack he was charged with the attempted murder of Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

More recently, he has made headlines for his artistic endeavours which started while he was in prison, with one of his paintings recently fetching £4,500 in an Ebay bid before the sale was cut off.

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sunday Life editor Martin Breen and former Belfast Telegraph editor Ed Curran.