Killer of Rosemary Nelson named; Loyalist Mark Fulton is revealed as

Sunday Herald, The, Jun 16, 2002 by Special report By Neil Mackay

MARK Fulton, the loyalist godfather who killed himself in his prison cell last week, has been named as the killer of Northern Ireland defence lawyer Rosemary Nelson.

Fulton, known in loyalist circles as "Swinger", was discovered by prison warders in Maghaberry jail in County Antrim on Monday morning. Fulton was found in his bed with his belt knotted around his neck. It's believed he was depressed and suicidal over fears that rival loyalist inmates were targeting him for murder.

Sources close to Colin Port - the deputy chief constable of Norfolk Police who is heading the inquiry into the March 1999 murder of Nelson in a car bomb attack in her home town of Lurgan - said Fulton, who was once the leader of the Loyalist Volunteer Force, was "without question" the man who masterminded her assassination.

Police in Northern Ireland have ruled out any foul play in Fulton's death. Sources close to Port said: "Fulton has long been the chief suspect. Port regards him in that light. Although Fulton was in jail at the time of her death, we know that he planned and ordered it.

"He had been out of jail on compassionate leave, just days before she was murdered, finalising the last details. There is no question that he was the man who made this happen.

"Fulton was linked to the killing through police informants, not through forensics. If there were any forensics he'd have been serving life for her murder when he died.

"I believe at least four or five people were involved in the murder. There was a bomb-maker, who was based in Belfast, the person who delivered the bomb to the LVF, and those who planted the bomb. Then there was the ringleader - that was Fulton.

"Just because Fulton is dead it does not mean that the inquiry is over - we still want to see all those other men brought to justice. The only disappointment is that his death shuts down any chance of a confession."

Fulton was once lieutenant to Billy Wright, the founder of the LVF. Wright, also known as "King Rat", was shot dead by INLA prisoners while he was serving time also in Maghaberry.

According to sources close to Port, Fulton had an "extreme fixation and obsession" with Wright. "He became Wright's clone," a source said. Fulton wore a tattoo of Wright over his heart after his mentor's death.

"The balance of his mind was obviously disturbed. He seemed to think he'd go the same way as his old boss. There was also some gossip that his involvement in murder was preying on his conscience, but I can't say I really buy that. He was one of the nastiest human beings imaginable."

Wright had threatened to kill Nelson prior to her death. In a prison diary, he mentioned how she had successfully defended men that he believed to be IRA killers. "The gist of the diary was that Nelson was a lawyer, but that wouldn't be enough to protect her," a source said.

"You can be sure that if Wright felt like that then so did Fulton. Rosemary Nelson died three weeks after the inquest into Wright's death was completed.

"A number of paramilitaries had attended the inquest. It's certainly likely that they were emotionally stirred up and decided to kill Nelson by way of some back-handed send off to their hero."

Fulton was also a known drug dealer. He took over the LVF after Wright's assassination in December 1997. After Wright's death, he was known to spend many nights alone by his mentor's grave.

In 1998, while he was drunk, Fulton shot at an off-duty soldier in the street. He was later sentenced to four years in jail. It was during this spell in prison that he planned and ordered Nelson's death.

He was currently in prison on remand pending trial for conspiracy to murder. The charge related to an ongoing feud between the LVF and rival loyalist paramilitaries.

He had been placed in isolation, along with his brother Jim, at his own request over fears that he was being set up for murder. LVF prisoner, David Keys, was beaten, slashed and raped with a snooker cue in the jail before being strangled after Fulton's men suspected him of being an informer in 1998.

The command structure of the LVF has recently changed with a Belfast-based paramilitary taking over the gang and replacing Fulton.

Police suspect that Fulton took part in a total of 12 murders, including the fatal shooting of the investigative journalist Martin O'Hagan last year.