Knight loses appeal

Antrim County Court Judge David Smyth QC rejected a claim by 40-year-old Knight from Ashdale, Coleraine, that he had acted in self defence during a row in the Blackthorn Bar in May 2008.

Knight served seven years in jail for the murders of eight people at the Rising Sun Bar and four workmen in Castlerock in 1993.

He was freed from prison in 2000 under an early release licence but that was suspended after his conviction for the Coleraine attack.

The sister claimed that Knight punched them in the bar after claiming he had "unfinished business" with them.

But Knight claims the sisters called him a "murdering scumbag b******" and called his wife a "tramp".

This afternoon, Monday, Judge Smyth said he accepted there was bad blood between Knight's family and the sisters, but he said he believed Knight had lashed out at them after losing his temper and his self control when the sisters told him "to f*** off".

Lawyers for Knight confirmed after the hearing that they were continuing with appeals to have Knight released from prison by the Life Sentence Review Commissioners.

Knight said nothing after the judge's ruling but gave a thumbs up sign to relatives in the public gallery as he left the court.