Man jailed for murder… launches High Court challenge against prison service

One of the men jailed for the baseball bat murder of a Catholic schoolboy in Ballymena has launched a High Court challenge to being detained in a regime likened to solitary confinement.

His lawyers claim the decision to isolate him was unlawfully taken without evidence that he was carrying any concealed contraband items.

With the legal dispute now set for judicial determination, Moon’s solicitor Owen Beattie claimed the case highlighted ongoing issues inside the jail.

Mr Beattie said: “The questionable use of the x-ray body scanner at Maghaberry Prison continues to be a constant problem within the prison regime.

“This latest litigation brings into sharp focus not only the use of the body scanner, but also the detention of prisoners in conditions akin to solitary confinement.”