§ Mr. SpeakerI have been informed that Mr. William Ross, Mr. Clifford Forsythe, the Rev. Martin Smyth, and Mr. Harold McCusker were yesterday sentenced to terms of imprisonment of seven days. I shall cause the appropriate details of their offences to be published in the Votes and Proceedings and in the Official Report.
On Monday I notified the House that I had been informed that Mr. Peter Robinson, the hon. Member for Belfast, East, had been imprisoned for a period of 30 days. I am now informed that the sentence was one of seven days. I shall cause the corrected information to be published in the Votes and Proceedings and in the Official Report.
Following are the relevant letters from the Belfast magistrates' courts:
Dear Mr. Speaker
William Ross, Member of Parliament for Londonderry East, was convicted by me at Belfast Petty Sessions on 11 December 1987, of taking part in a public procession, contrary to Article 3 of the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987. I fined him £20.00, to be paid within 28 days.
As that fine has not been paid Mr. Ross was today committed to Prison for a period of 7 days.
Yours faithfully
C. P. McRandal
Resident Magistrate
Dear Mr. Speaker
John Clifford Forsythe, Member of Parliament for South Antrim, was convicted by me at Belfast Petty Sessions on 11 December 1987, of taking part in a public procession, contrary to Article 3 of the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987. I fined him £20.00, to be paid within 28 days.
As that fine has not been paid Mr. Forsythe was today committed to Prison for a period of 7 days.
Yours faithfully.
C.P. McRandal
Resident Magistrate.
Dear Mr. Speaker
Martin William Smyth, Member of Parliament for Belfast South, was convicted by me at Belfast Petty Sessions on 11 December 1987, of taking part in a public procession, contrary to Article 3 of the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987. I fined him £20.00, to be paid within 28 days.
As that fine has not been paid Mr. Smyth was today committed to Prison for a period of 7 days
Yours faithfully,
C. P. McRandal
Resident Magistrate.
Dear Mr. Speaker,
Harold McCusker, Member of Parliament for Upper Bann, was convicted by me at Belfast Petty Sessions on 11 December 1987, of taking part in a public procession, contrary to Article 3 of the Public Order (Northern Ireland) Order 1987. I fined him £20.00, to be paid within 28 days.
As that fine has not been paid Mr. McCusker was today committed to Prison for a period of 7 days.
424 Yours faithfully,
C. P. McRandal
Resident Magistrate.
Dear Mr Speaker
PETER ROBINSON, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR BELFAST EAST
On 17 February 1988, I sent you a letter signed by Mr F G Harty, Resident Magistrate, stating that Mr Robinson had been committed to Prison for a period of 30 days. I have now learned that he was in fact committed to Prison that day for a period of seven days only. I now enclose the appropriate letter signed by Mr M D McHugh, Resident Magistrate.
I regret very much this unfortunate error and apologise for any confusion it may have caused you. It occurred because Mr Robinson was apparently apprehended by the Police in respect of both unpaid fines at the same time. He paid one and was committed to Prison in respect of the other.
Yours faithfully
T V Patton
Clerk of Petty Sessions
Dear Mr. Speaker,
Peter Robinson, Member of Parliament for Belfast East, was convicted by me at Belfast Petty Sessions on 3 December 1987 of using on a road a mechanically propelled vehicle which was not exhibiting a licence in respect of that use contrary to section 12(4) of the Vehicles (Excise) Act (NI) 1972. I fined him £25, to be paid within 28 days.
As that fine has not been paid Mr. Robinson was today committed to Prison for a period of seven days.
Maurice D. McHugh
Resident Magistrate