​​Former loyalist chief William ‘Mo’ Courtney to be granted core participant status at Finucane inquiry

Courtney mounted a legal challenge after being initially denied the standing in the tribunal examining a high-profile killing he was previously publicly accused of involvement in.

But he has now been offered the status which could lead to him having key rights and privileges at the inquiry.

Mr Finucane, 39, was shot dead by loyalist paramilitary gunmen in front of his wife and three children at their north Belfast home in February 1989.

Previous probes have found evidence of security force collusion in one of the most notorious murders carried out during the Troubles.

An independent statutory inquiry set up by the UK Government to examine the full circumstances surrounding the solicitor’s assassination is now underway.

The tribunal, which formally opened in June, is expected to probe relationships between the UDA killers and members of the security forces.

The role played by Army agent Brian Nelson in targeting Mr Finucane for assassination will also be explored.

In 2002, Courtney was reportedly arrested and questioned in connection with the murder of Mr Finucane, but released without any charge.

The 62-year-old, from the Shankill area of Belfast, has also taken legal action over the tribunal's terms of reference, claiming an unlawful attempt to establish the identity of all those involved in the killing.

Courtney’s lawyers issued separate judicial review proceedings against inquiry chairman Sir Gary Hickinbottom’s initial decision not to grant him core participant status.

Anyone with that designation is entitled to make opening and closing statements, suggest lines of questioning and receive relevant material.

Even though the decision was left open to reconsideration, Coutney insisted he should have been assigned the status from the outset.

His barristers, John Larkin KC and Emma McIlveen, claimed it was an irrational and unfair determination towards someone who is more than just an interested member of the public.

“He is a man who stands publicly accused, in media reporting, and by reason of his arrest by the Stevens Inquiry, of having been one of the gunmen who murdered Patrick Finucane,” legal papers submitted.

In court today, Mr Larkin disclosed the significant developments in the case.

“An offer of core participant status has now been accorded (to Courtney),” he confirmed.

With the role set to be formally accepted, a further hearing was listed for next month to resolve the remaining issues around costs.

Courtney’s spokesman, Jamie Bryson, said later: “He welcomes this successful outcome and looks forward to participating in the inquiry.

“As that process is now underway, it would not be appropriate to offer any further commentary.”