The following is the text of Paul McIlwaine’s Victim Impact Statement in its entirety.  The statement was not read in court at Burcombe’s sentencing because it had been amended without permission after it was handed in to the court.

This is my victim’s impact statement for the judge when sentencing Mark Burcombe.

It’s hard to find the words to express my disgust in the way we have been treated and the lack of respect in the years leading up to this.

Mark Burcombe was questioned about the murder of these two young men in 2000 and lied then about his part in these brutal and sadistic crimes, saying that he had nothing to do with them, despite traveling with two of the killers the following day.

In early 2000 I met him when he was coming out of UVF headquarters in Portadown with two other men and he didn’t seem at all in fear or under duress—in fact he was laughing.

I told him to get in to my van, I said that Mrs. Robb and I were given his name as one of the killers and he calmly said that he had nothing to do with it that he was David’s friend and that he played football with him. He then fled the jurisdiction for some time.

I have relentlessly pursued and investigated myself and in 2005 I asked for a Crimewatch reconstruction and a reward to be put up, and after going on air, Stephen Brown was re-arrested and charged. Then I received a call from a third party to say that a young man had approached him by whatever means to say that he was there on the night of the murders but took no part. He didn’t know this was going to happen but he was a member of the UVF and wanted to know what would happen to him if he handed himself in.

This put me as one of the victims parents in a strange position. As the father of David I said that I could play no part in this other than to ask advice from the senior officer in the case.

After three days of trying to convince him that this was the right thing to do, Burcombe handed himself in. And at an early stage Tim Hanley stated that he was not telling the truth and that he admitted playing an active role in disposing of the weapons but was refusing to say where they where.  Tim said that he was an accomplished liar.  This is backed up by the fact that he said he didn’t know the boys, but we have photographic evidence to prove otherwise.  He said that there was only one car and three men involved yet three separate witnesses state that two cars left Brown’s house that night and one of the witnesses was a former RUC officer of twenty three years who was approximately 200 yards away from the murder scene and saw two cars enter the lane.

Even now, according to police, Burcombe took them to where the weapons were supposed to be but couldn’t remember the exact spot.  He asks you to believe that he stood and watched and played no part.  I think his statements are largely false and he has consistently tried to minimize his role.

As to how this has impacted on me and my family I can only describe it as a living nightmare and a life sentence. We have lost our son, our home and our business and our lives are consumed now by seeking justice which Burcombe has spent a great many years purposefully denying us.

I have no hatred for anyone but I do believe that those who carried this crime out should die for what they done but as we have no death penalty I would expect the severest penalty for this charge to be imposed.

I have to also add that I have believed since the first year that the police have covered up and destroyed evidence to protect agents of the state in their employment.  This is still my belief.

Tim Hanley stated after the recent case that he believes that Burcombe is still lying but what he is saying is compelling.  The new legislation states that if the witness is not telling the complete truth then no contract will be entered.

I am currently seeking a judicial review of the PPS to use Burcombe and will oppose this both privately and very publicly.

I lastly must apologise to the court for my outburst a few weeks ago but after 8 years of abiding the court’s decisions with grace, this was the last straw.