Knight breaks down in tears

The notorious hit man, jailed for life for 12 murders in 1993, was giving evidence at his appeal against his conviction and four month jail sentence for assaulting two sisters in a Coleraine bar two years ago.

40-year-old Knight from Ashdale, Coleraine cried as he spoke of his hurt after the sisters called his wife "a tramp".Knight told Antrim County Court that their insult hurt him more than them calling him "murdering scumbag bastard".

"People have a right to call me that if they want, because that is what I am - or was.

“I have been a bad man but my past is my past. I want to live in peace now," Knight claimed.

Knight, freed under the early release programme, but returned to prison by Secretary of State Shaun Woodward following his conviction for attacking the sisters, admitted that after the attack he told police that he wasn't

ashamed of what he had done in the past.

"That was an off the cuff remark," said Knight, "which I shouldnt have made".

Knight said he had been through a lot but it was "self-inflicted". He said the papers had written a lot of things about him, but he had developed a thick skin.

However, he said that the sisters' should not have insulted his wife.

Fighting back tears he said "she is a good girl".

Knight said he had approached the sisters in the bar to make peace with them because there had been bad blood between them and his wife's family.

He said the sisters blamed him for shooting their brother, but he said, "I can prove I wasn’t even in the country at the time".

He denied that he struck the first blow, and said he had only been acting in self-defence.

Knight received 12 life sentences for his part in the Greysteel massacre and the separate killing of four workmen.

EVIDENCE

On Friday the two sisters gave evidence at the appeal hearing.

Rosemary Sutherland said Knight punched her in the face and broke her nose after she tried to stop him kicking her sister, whom he had knocked to the ground in the Blackthorn Bar after telling her he had unfinished business with her.

Her sister, Caroline Nicholl, said she had only met 40-year-old Knight once before, but claimed he had kicked her mother's door in on one occasion.

Ms Sutherland denied her injuries were caused by a headbutt from her ex-husband's new wife.

A lawyer for Knight asked Ms Sutherland why she hadn't called police immediately after he allegedly assaulted her.

She replied: "Because of who it was. We were scared".