Former Sinn Fein/IRA member Gerry McGeough has been convicted of attempting to murder a postman in Aughnacloy County Tyrone in 1981. McGeough had made statements to hospital staff in Monaghan Town at the time of the Shooting, he then made hand written statements to the Swedish authorities admitting he was the gunman, he then wrote a book outlining the shooting in which he was involved. After all of this self incrimination Mc Geough said time and again that his trial for shooting Mr Brush was a stitch up. However, McGeough like other idiots over the years including former Sinn Fein member Owen/Eoin Smyth in Monaghan Town Mc Geough has learned that:
"A closed mouth cathches no flies".
McGeough's co-accused Vincent Mac Anespie had never made any statements and was acquitted. A judge in the Crown court in Belfast has found prominent republican Gerry McGeough guilty of of shooting and attempting to murder a part time UDR soldier 30 years ago.
He also convicted the 52-year-old of being a member of the IRA on dates between January 1975 and 14 June 1981 and of possessing the two revolvers which were used in the assassination attempt on Samuel Brush, who is now a DUP councillor.
Delivering his 45 minute judgement to a pack court 12 at the Laganside court complex, the judge said he was satisfied "to the requisite standard" that McGeough was one of two gunmen who shot and wounded Mr Brush as he delivered a letter to a house just north of Aughnacloy.
He said he was convinced by numerous strands of evidence against McGeough including:
•The fact that two hours after the shooting, a man calling himself Gerry McGeough and with the same personal details as the defendant was admitted to Monaghan Hospital with a gunshot wound,
•That the bullet taken from him was consistent with having been fired by the revolver Mr Brush used to return fire, scarring from the surgery on McGeough's torso, and
•A large eagle tattoo on his arm which matched that seen by a Garda officer.
The judge also told the court in addition to those strands of evidence was an application by McGeough for asylum in Sweden in August 1981 where, in a hand written letter, he confessed to what he had done and also an extract from a book McGeough had written, entitled "Defenders" which had "remarkable similarities" to what had happened.
The judge said by reason of McGeough's confessions to the Swedish authorities, he was also convicting him of being a member of the IRA as he had recounted to them how he joined Sinn Fein in 1975 but was asked to join the IRA in 1976, being assigned "more and more responsible tasks within the IRA".
Alongside McGeough in the dock was 47-year-old Vincent McAnespie, from Aghabo Close in Aughnacloy.
He had denied possessing two revolvers and ammunition with intent to endanger life and under suspicious circumstances and a further charge of impeding the apprehension of Terence McGeough by hiding the pistols.
The judge acquitted McAnespie of all charges because the only evidence against him had come from a husband and wife who claimed they had seen him shortly after the shooting when he told them he had hidden the guns in a house but warned them they were "under threat not to tell".
However the couple, who were themselves suspects at one time, did not give evidence in the trial, which lasted from March to November last year.
As McGeough was led to the cells, he cried out "long live the Irish nation" to cheers from his friends and family who had packed the public gallery.
The judge adjourned passing sentence until next month when pre-sentence probation and medical reports have been compiled but as was indicated by the defence McGeough may only serve two years in custody under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
Speaking outside the court after he was given congratulatory hugs from friends and family including DUP MLA Arlene Foster, Mr Brush said the judge's verdicts had been "a long time coming".
Thanking all the officers who investigated the case and the lawyers who presented it in court Mr Brush added: "It has affected my life and my familys' life for 30 years.
I would want to point out to any young person who feels that they should get involved in terrorist activity that there's a good possibility their past will catch up with them even 30 years later - they will always be looking over their shoulder."
