MICHAEL STONE has been jailed for 16 years for his attempt to kill Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams at Parliament Buildings two years ago.
Belfast Crown Court judge Mr Justice Donnell Deeny told Stone, who claimed that the attack on November 24th, 2006, was "performance art", that he had considered imposing a life sentence.
Stone, dressed in denim, stood impassive in the dock as the judge went through the jail terms for his offences. Last month the same judge convicted Stone of trying to murder the Sinn Féin leadership as well as seven other charges of possessing explosives with intent to endanger life.
Stone, of no fixed address, was found guilty of 11 charges of possessing nail and pipe bombs with intent to endanger life, possessing three knives, an axe and a garotte and having an imitation firearm with intent to commit an offence.
During his judgment, Mr Justice Deeny said Stone was a "wholly unreliable and unconvincing witness whose testimony is wholly undeserving of belief". It was also his view that he was in no doubt Stone meant to commit murder or cause serious injury during the Stormont attack.
"It is clear to me that a claim some actions constituted performance art cannot justify the use of violence, the threat of violence or putting others at risk of violence," said the judge.
Mr Justice Deeny told Stone that just as victims of crime must deal with the consequences, "so must the assailant, to some degree, live by the consequences of his actions".
During the no-jury trial the judge heard that Stone was spray-painting graffiti on one of the columns outside Stormont when he was disturbed by a security guard who then raised the alarm.
Stone then tried to burst through the revolving doors into Parliament Buildings and managed to kick a camera bag containing a device made from petrol and fireworks towards the X-ray machine, causing pandemonium among staff and the gathered media who recorded it all.
However, his attempt to get in was thwarted by security guard Susan Porter, who managed to take his fake pistol from him before other security staff rushed forward to hold him.
While he was being held down on the floor both inside and outside the building, Stone continued to shout various remarks about "no powersharing" with Sinn Féin and "no surrender, no sell-out".
When Stone was searched, security staff uncovered numerous home-made nail and pipe bombs as well as the three knives, an axe and a garotte.
Stone told police about his mission to kill the Sinn Féin leadership because he had "unfinished business" with them. During later police interviews, he said: "In acting alone as a dissident loyalist, I went there specifically to assassinate Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness . . . who I see as war criminals."
In the days following the attack, it was revealed that on his way to Stormont, Stone posted two identical letters to two newspapers, the Belfast Telegraphand the London Evening Standard, spelling out exactly what he planned and what he had with him.
In what appears to be an inventory, he writes: "1 x replica handgun (to bluff my way past the two security guards stationed at a desk behind a walk through metal detector), 1 x large 'flash-bang' device (device to be ignited in the centre of the large hall). WARNING GIVEN 7 x nail bombs 3 x knives 1 x axe 1 x garrotte body armour - vest . . . I'm outgunned, but I wouldn't have it any other way - for God and Ulster". The letter is signed "Flint".
Stone gave evidence on his own behalf and claimed the attack had not been intended to kill or hurt anyone but rather was a work of performance art, designed to "put a proverbial rocket up the backsides" of the politicians. He denied he was an "egocentric killer with a penchant for publicity".