Hi °C | Lo °C A KEY witness to events around the death of a Catholic community worker is to be put back on to a home security scheme, the High Court has heard.
Peter Neill will have increased protection including bulletproof windows and doors at his home in Coleraine, Co Londonderry.
The confirmation brought an end to his legal challenge to a decision by the Northern Ireland Office to take him off the scheme.
Mr Neill (44), of Hazelbank Road in the town, is due to be a main witness at the trial of men accused of offences related to the killing of Kevin McDaid.
Mr McDaid, a 49-year-old father-of-four, was attacked by a loyalist mob yards from his home in the Heights area of Coleraine in May 2009. Judicial review proceedings were launched after the NIO decided the risk against Mr Neill had reduced because he was under no threat from dissident republicans.
His lawyers argued there was no evidence of a reduced risk from loyalists and questioned the relevance of dissident republicans to the case.
Mr Neill's solicitor, Pearse MacDermott, said he was pleased with the outcome.
But he added: "It's just disappointing that we had to take the matter to court before the Northern Ireland Office saw common sense with regard to the threat against Mr Neill."
