[https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts/west-belfast-pensioner-who-collected-information-for-terrorists-says-stress-of-case-made-her-ms-worse/a1805029935.html](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts/west-belfast-pensioner-who-collected-information-for-terrorists-says-stress-of-case-made-her-ms-worse/a1805029935.html)

​

A pensioner with multiple sclerosis jailed for collecting information for dissident republican terrorists may have suffered a deterioration in her condition due to the stress of the case, the [Court of Appeal](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts) heard today.

Counsel for [Fionnghuale Mary Teresa Dympha Perry](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/oap-caught-with-terror-notes-facing-up-to-15-years-in-jail/1724493396.html), also known as Nuala Perry, questioned whether the judge who imprisoned her properly considered suspending the sentence because of the exceptional medical circumstances.

The 67-year-old from [west Belfast](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/tag/west-belfast-news) is challenging the four-year prison term she received after being convicted of collecting or making a record of information likely to be of use to terrorists.

Police discovered the notes stored inside a perfume box in a bedroom at Perry’s Waterville Street home back in 2018.

Seven cigarette papers containing written information about an earlier recovery of weapons and explosives were located.

The notes related to interviews carried out following seizures from [Kevin Barry Nolan](https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts/man-seeking-review-into-draconian-border-stop-and-search-powers/686549099.html)’s home in Ballymurphy, west Belfast in 2015.

Nolan was later convicted and jailed for storing Semtex, guns and bullets.

Prosecutors said the papers in Perry’s house were from a debriefing about the seized weapons to find out what went wrong and how police came to find them.

She claimed the documents were for legitimate political and journalistic purposes as part of her role as a commentator and activist.

But last year she was found guilty following a non-jury trial in Belfast.

Perry has already lost a legal battle to have her conviction overturned.

As she mounted a further appeal against her jail sentence, defence barrister Desmond Hutton KC said she will be 69 by the time of release in 2026.

He told the court she has been assessed as suffering from a range of medical issues, including depression, severe lethargy and a “rapidly evolving” multiple sclerosis (MS) which was only diagnosed after criminal proceedings commenced.

“The stress of the charges may have made a contribution to the MS disorder becoming more prevalent,” Mr Hutton submitted.

He argued that the anxiety of having the case hanging over her head for so long could have led to a progression and exacerbation in the symptoms.

“There is no reference to the (trial) judge considering exceptionality as a concept, and whether the circumstances of the offender are sufficiently exceptional to consider a suspension of the sentence,” Mr Hutton claimed.

“It’s almost as if the judge is saying in this class of case, a terrorist offence where there is no plea of guilty, there cannot be a suspended sentence.

“It’s a process of logic which we question.”

Further grounds of challenge based on the sentencing regime and human rights legislation were also advanced as part of the attempt to have Perry’s sentence declared manifestly excessive.

Reserving judgment following detailed exchanges, Lord Justice McCloskey indicated a decision will be given early next month.

by PsychologicalPizza12

6 comments

  2. Lol maybe don’t get involved with terrorist activity if you’re worried about “stress of the case”.

  5. >He told the court she has been assessed as suffering from a range of medical issues, including depression, severe lethargy and a “rapidly evolving” multiple sclerosis (MS) **which was only diagnosed after criminal proceedings commenced**.

    Convenient.

    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/multiple-sclerosis/diagnosis/

    > It can be hard to tell whether your symptoms might be caused by multiple sclerosis (MS) at first, as some of the symptoms can be quite vague or similar to other conditions.

    > Diagnosing MS is complicated because no single test can positively diagnose it. Other possible causes of your symptoms may need to be ruled out first.

Leave a Reply