He was convicted of the murder of Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) leader Billy Wright, who was shot by an INLA unit led by McWilliams inside the Maze Prison.

[2] In 1984, McWilliams was jailed for fourteen years for his part in a shoot-out in a flat in the Lenadoon area of west Belfast in which a leading INLA figure, Paul McCann, and a Royal Ulster Constabulary policeman died, but did not serve the full sentence.

[7] The Prison Officers' Association said precautions had been put in place to ensure inmates from the two organisations did not come into contact with each other as the factions were not participating in ceasefires at the time, and were violently opposed to one another.

Wright's father campaigned for a public inquiry into his son's murder and appealed for help to the Northern Ireland, British and Irish authorities for help in the matter.

Also sitting on the inquiry were academician Andrew Coyle of the University of London and the former Bishop of Hereford, the Right Reverend John Oliver.

[14] McWilliams had served only two years for the murder of Wright and was released from Magilligan prison on 20 October 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

He also stated that the "decision was taken to eliminate Billy Wright solely because he was the man who had opted to direct a ruthless campaign of slaughter of innocent Catholics from inside Long Kesh".