Former paramilitary's home up for auction

The first public sale of a criminal's property by the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland was set to go ahead on Wednesday.

The auction of Jim Johnston's house follows September’s High Court order to seize the cash and property assets worth more than £1 million from the former loyalist paramilitary.

Johnston, 45, a member of the outlawed Red Hand Commando, was shot dead in the driveway of his home at Crawfordsburn during a loyalist feud in May 2003.

Commenting on today’s auction, Alan McQuillan, Assistant Director of the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland, said: "This auction is a very visible reminder that the extensive powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act are effective in taking the profit out of crime.

“This is the first of what will be a continuous stream of assets taken out of the hands of criminals and used for the benefit of everyone in the community.

"We will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that those who attempt to prosper from crime are hit where it hurts, in their pockets."

Other properties which include seven additional houses in Northern Ireland, commercial premises in Belfast and a holiday home in Co Sligo will be disposed of over the coming months while the investment portfolio is currently being liquidated.

The agency, which began work last year, is modelled on the Republic of Ireland's Criminal Assets Bureau, which was set up in 1996 after the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.

(MB/GMCG)