William James Fulton

William James Fulton (born 25 November 1968 ), known as Jim Fulton, is a Northern Irish loyalist. He was a volunteer in the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF), the paramilitary organisation founded in 1996 by Billy Wright and later commanded by his brother Mark "Swinger" Fulton until the latter's death in 2002.

He was convicted in 2006 of LVF-related crimes; these included having ordered the murder of a local Portadown woman and seven attempted murders. Fulton was sentenced to life in prison. His trial was the longest in the legal history of Northern Ireland.

Family Fulton was born in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1968. He is a son of Jim "Swinger" Fulton, a former British soldier, who worked as a window cleaner. His mother, Sylvia Prentice, came from a family of wealthy local car dealers. This came about after the unauthorised killing of Catholic taxi driver Michael McGoldrick by gunmen from the Portadown unit of the Mid-Ulster Brigade during the Drumcree standoff when the UVF were on ceasefire. The killing has been reported as the first to be carried out by the LVF, Wright took most of the members of his expelled unit with him. Fulton was arrested in California along with his wife Tanya and Odysseus and Mahatma Landry, two of the sons of LVF member Muriel Gibson, on charges of possession of firearms and explosives, as well as drugs charges. When all charges not related to drugs were dropped, campaigners seeking a full investigation into the murder of Rosemary Nelson asked the US Congress to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case. Fulton had left for the United States in 1999 soon after Nelson's killing, fuelling speculation that he had been involved.

Trial Ultimately, he was deported from the US rather than facing the charges. Jim Fulton was freed on bail soon after the death of his brother. for several LVF-related crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Under British law, he will have to serve at least 28 years. He was convicted of ordering the 1999 murder of Elizabeth O'Neill, a 59-year-old Protestant grandmother whose home in Portadown's Corcrain estate was attacked with a pipe bomb because she was married to a Catholic. She had died after picking up a bomb thrown through her window as she watched television. His associate was leading loyalist Muriel Gibson, who was indicted along with him.

Much of the evidence against Fulton consisted of claims he had made to undercover police officers while living in England. At his trial, he claimed that he had lied in order to impress the officers, believing they were members of an important criminal "firm".

Following his sentencing by Mr Justice Hart, one of Fulton's supporters shouted angry abuse at the judge as he left the court: "Farce, scam, you're a disgrace to law and order".

Convictions The terrorist offences Fulton was convicted of were:

Count Description Sentence 1 aiding and abetting the murder of Elizabeth O'Neill 25 years 2 aiding and abetting the causing of an explosion (during the attack on O'Neill) 20 years 3 to 7 attempted murder of Janelle Woods and Stephen Black, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Janelle Woods and Stephen Black, causing an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property 20 years 8 to 13 attempted murder of Joseph Murnin and Mark Murphy, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Joseph Murnin and Mark Murphy, use of a RGD-5 grenade to cause an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or to cause serious injury to property, possession of a RGD-5 grenade with intent to cause an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or to cause serious injury to property 20 years 14 to 17 attempted murder of RUC officers Chief Inspector Barr, Reserve Constable Irvine, Constable Harkness, Constable McBrien (during the Drumcree protests) 28 years 18 to 23 attempted wounding with intent (of four RUC officers), causing an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property, and possession of a pipe bomb with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property (during the attack on RUC officers) 25 years 24 attempted armed robbery of Conor McAleavy 15 years 25 false imprisonment of Conor McAleavy 10 years 26 conspiracy to murder Derek Wray (U.D.A member) 20 years 28 wounding William Samuel Fletcher with intent to do him grievous bodily harm 20 years 29 possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life (during the attack on Fletcher ) 15 years 30 to 32 wounding James Buchanan, Jonathan Birney and Andrew Doran with intent to do grievous bodily harm (during a punishment attack) 10 years 33 possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life (during attack on Buchanan, Birney and Doran) 15 years 34 & 35 hijacking a Post Office van & having a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence (namely hijacking) 12 years 36 possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life (which was used in the murder of Michael McGoldrick) 12 years 41 directing terrorism 25 years 42 illegal membership of a paramilitary organization 10 years 43 doing an act intending to pervert the course of justice 5 years 44 possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence 10 years 50 hijacking of a car belonging to Mr. McCallum 15 years 51 false imprisonment of McCallum 12 years 52 possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence (during car hijacking) 10 years 53 to 55 conspiracy to murder, doing an act with intent to cause an explosion, possession of an explosive device with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property (during attack on a Sinn Féin office in Newry) 20 years 59 supply of Cannabis or Cannabis Resin 14 years 60 possession of Cannabis or Cannabis Resin with intent to supply 10 years 62 possession of a firearm and ammunition in suspicious circumstances 10 years