Loyalist paramilitary leader James Fulton was jailed yesterday for 28 years at Belfast Crown Court for a litany of terrorist crimes, including his role in the murder of a Catholic grandmother and the attempted killing of four RUC officers.
In the dock with Fulton was Muriel Gibson (56), who was jailed for a total of eight years for a series of crimes including impeding the arrest and prosecution of Catholic council worker Adrian Lamph's killers.
He was murdered in April 1988, and Gibson was found guilty of trying to destroy evidence and hiding the gun used. She also arranged for the bike used by the killers to be thrown into a river.
Gibson also possessed detonators and pipe bombs used at Drumcree, as well as storing assault rifles at her home.
She was described by the judge as an enthusiastic member of the LVF in Portadown during a 28-month period before quitting the area to move to a new home at Clos Trevithick, Cornwall.
The pair, who both denied the charges, were convicted in December following the longest trial in Northern Ireland's legal history.
In total Fulton was found guilty of aiding and abetting the murder of Elizabeth O'Neill (59), two counts of conspiracy to murder, seven of attempted murder, nine explosives charges, 12 woundings and attempted woundings, seven firearm offences, one attempted robbery, perverting the course of justice, two counts of false imprisonment, two hijackings, two drug dealing offences, being a member of the LVF and directing the organisation.
Outside the court Mrs O'Neill's son, Martin (43), said he was happy with the sentence passed.
Mr O'Neill said: "Fulton was the man that ordered the men to pipe-bomb my mother's house. He is evil but I have no feelings towards him - if I had it would be doing my head in just thinking about it. Justice has been done here but it will not bring my mum back. If he had wanted her out of the house then a brick through the window should have been enough. He didn't need to use a pipe-bomb."
Fulton plans to appeal the conviction.