{{Short description|Former paramilitary and convicted murderer}} '''Declan Duffy''', also known as '''Declan "Whacker" Duffy''', is an Irish former paramilitary member and convicted murderer.
==Early life== He is originally from Armagh, Northern Ireland.<ref name=bbc-declan-duffy-a-life-of-violence>{{Cite news |title=Declan Duffy: A life of violence |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-10724854 |date=2010-07-22 |access-date=2023-06-05 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
==Paramilitary involvement== He joined the Irish National Liberation Army while still a teenager in the 1980s.<ref name=bbc-declan-duffy-a-life-of-violence/>
In 1999 he and several members of the INLA took six members of a criminal gang hostage.<ref name=bbc-declan-duffy-a-life-of-violence/> They held them at the Ballymount industrial estate.<ref name=bbc-declan-duffy-a-life-of-violence/> One hostage managed to use their mobile phone to call others and in the resulting fight, INLA member Patrick Campbell was stabbed and died.<ref name=bbc-declan-duffy-a-life-of-violence/>
In 2008 members of the INLA headed by Duffy carried out four attacks on members a gang headed by Freddie Thompson.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Gangland feud to explode, senior gardaí warn |url=http://tribune.ie/article/2008/jun/22/gangland-feud-to-explode-senior-gardai-warn/ |last=McCaffrey |first=Mick |date=2008-06-22 |access-date=2023-06-07 |work=Sunday Tribune}}</ref>
In May 2009 he pleaded guilty to membership of the organisation and also dissociated himself from it.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Former INLA Dublin leader dissociates himself from organisation |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30409938.html |date=2009-05-08 |access-date=2023-06-05 |work=Irish Examiner}}</ref>
In July 2010 he pleaded guilty to the 1992 murder of Sergeant Michael Newman in Derby and was sentenced to 24 years.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Former paramilitary admits 1992 Derby soldier murder |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-10723635 |date=2010-07-22 |access-date=2023-06-05 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
He was released in 2013 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement but was recalled to prison for breaching his licence in 2020. He is not now due for release until 2034 after losing an appeal in May 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |title=INLA killer Declan Duffy loses legal challenge over early release from prison |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/inla-killer-declan-duffy-loses-legal-challenge-over-early-release-from-prison-4629334 |date=2024-05-25 |access-date=2024-10-08 |publisher=Belfast Newsletter}}</ref>
==Subsequent criminal career== He was arrested in July 2015 in Dublin in connection with allegations of extortion.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Gangland leader Declan 'Whacker' Duffy arrested in Dublin |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/gangland-leader-declan-whacker-duffy-arrested-in-dublin/31367556.html |date=2015-07-10 |access-date=2023-06-05 |work=The Herald}}</ref>
On 5 December 2015 he was arrested in connection with the abduction of Martin Byrne.<ref name=ie-judge-orders-extradition-of-declan-whacker-duffy>{{Cite news |title=Judge orders extradition of Declan 'Whacker' Duffy to UK |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-31002953.html |last=Reynolds |first=Eoin |date=2020-06-02 |access-date=2023-06-05 |work=Irish Examiner}}</ref> He was convicted of false imprisonment on 6 June 2016.<ref name=ie-judge-orders-extradition-of-declan-whacker-duffy/> He had been released on licence but this was revoked after his conviction<ref name=ie-judge-orders-extradition-of-declan-whacker-duffy/>
He was then extradited to the UK in 2020 after his false imprisonment sentence was served in the Republic to resume serving the balance of his sentence for murder.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffy, Declan}} Category:Irish National Liberation Army members Category:People from Armagh Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Irish murderers Category:People convicted of murder by England and Wales Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by England and Wales Category:Irish kidnappers Category:People extradited from Ireland Category:People extradited to the United Kingdom