The early release of two Scots Guards serving life sentences for murdering Belfast teenager Peter McBride was halted in the Court of Appeal in Belfast yesterday.
Three judges upheld an appeal by Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, against last month's ruling by Mr Justice Girvan that the two soldiers were entitled to early release or an early reference to the Life Sentence Review Board. The cases of James Fisher (27) from Ayr and Mark Wright (22) from Arbroath will now have to wait until the next meeting of the board in October.
Peter McBride was shot in the back as he ran away from an army patrol near his New Lodge home in 1992. He was 18.
His father, Mr Peter McBride snr, welcomed the Appeal Court's decision. "I am happy that Judge Girvan was over-ruled because he seemed ready to let them out in July."
Lawyers for Fisher and Wright had claimed they should be freed now as they have been in prison five years, two years longer than Paratrooper Lee Clegg and Private Ian Thain, who were also convicted of murder while on duty.
Lord Justice MacDermott, who heard the appeal with Lord Justice Nicholson and Mr Justice Higgins said in his judgment that the judges would not comment on the action Dr Mowlam should take.