UVF Loyalist Jailed for Show of Strength ID'd as Possible Knifeman in 1981 Slaying

Derek "Banic" Lammey, a loyalist imprisoned last month for a UVF show of strength, has been identified as the possible perpetrator of the 1981 murder of young father David Smyth. A survivor of the attack revealed during the trial that Lammey "might have been attacking" Smyth, who was stabbed and died from a single wound to the abdomen. Lammey, then 16, was later convicted of manslaughter and other charges related to the fatal stabbing.

Key Takeaways:

• Derek Lammey, a loyalist jailed for a UVF show of strength, was identified as the possible perpetrator of the 1981 murder of David Smyth.
• Smyth was stabbed and died from a single wound to the abdomen, with a survivor of the attack testifying that Lammey "might have been attacking" him.
• Lammey was 16 at the time of the murder and was later convicted of manslaughter, alongside three other men, in relation to the fatal stabbing.
• Prosecutors accepted pleas from Lammey and another co-accused, Thomas Ewing, and withdrew murder charges, citing the impossibility of proving who wielded the knife.
• Lammey also admitted to robbery, membership of the Red Hand Commando, attempted robbery, and three burglaries, including theft of shotguns.
• Smyth was a 24-year-old father of a two-year-old boy, known for being a "very nice, happy fellow" who had a "hello for everyone."
• The UVF gang that killed Smyth also stole a UDR soldier's pistol during the attack.

Statistics:

• Lammey was 16 years old at the time of the murder in 1981.
• Smyth was stabbed only once and died from that wound to the abdomen.
• Lammey was later convicted of manslaughter alongside three other men.
• Prosecutors accepted pleas from Lammey and Ewing, withdrawing murder charges.
• Lammey admitted to robbery and membership of the Red Hand Commando.

Sources:

• "Hooded Men of Ulster"
• Belfast Crown Court
• The Irish News: September 26, 1981