Michael McHugh

Michael McHugh 35 years, Corgary, Castlederg, County Tyrone, shot dead by the UDA/UFF on the laneway of his home, on 21 January 1977. Mr McHugh was a former member of Sinn Fein and some time before his death received a letter warning him he had been put on a ‘vermin extermination list.’ 

Members of the Crown forces regularly harassed Mr McHugh, and his home was raided on a number of occasions.

In 1987, following the evidence of an informer, nine loyalists were arrested and charged with several murders and other crimes in the County Derry area. William Bredin, a former RUC member was found guilty of murdering Mr McHugh. Others in the gang were convicted for the murders of Kevin Mulhern in October 1976, and John Toland in November 1976. One of the gang, who was acquitted of murder, but jailed for five years for possession of weapons, was former UDR soldier David Hamilton. It was revealed that Hamilton had used his position in the UDR to transport weapons in British Army vehicles for the UDA/UFF around the Co. Derry countryside.