The British Army paratrooper, Lee Clegg, has been cleared of any criminal wrong-doing over the killing of two teenage joy-riders almost a decade ago. The Northern Ireland Court of Appeal overturned a conviction against the 31-year-old corporal for wounding 17-year-old Martin Peake, who died with Karen Reilly in September, 1990. It was the last outstanding charge against Mr Clegg, who was acquitted last year of murdering Ms Reilly during a retrial in Belfast.
30-year-old Lee Clegg was not in the Court of Appeal in Belfast to hear the Lord Chief Justice say that his conviction was unsafe because it was based on frail evidence. Mr Clegg was originally convicted of murdering Karen Reilly and attempting to wound Martin Peake, who also died when soldiers fired 19 bullets into a stolen car in West Belfast. After an appeal, Lee Clegg was granted a re-trial. His murder conviction was quashed, but he was convicted of shooting at Martin Peake and jailed for four years. He appealed that conviction last year and, in a reserved judgement today, three judges unanimously ruled in his favour.
