Convicted terrorist and New IRA Derry terror boss Thomas Ashe Mellon
Thomas Ashe Mellon was at the forefront of a group of demonstrators who staged a middle-of-the-road protest in the Bogside against “sectarian policing”.
Among those in attendance at the white line protest were leading dissidents from Belfast and Newry.
They had planned to disrupt a meeting of the right-wing Irish Freedom Party in the city, which took place without any interference.
Mellon, who is on a 10-year MI5 terror watchlist, was pictured holding a poster in support of jailed dissident republican Zack Smyth.
The 60-year-old convicted robber and ex-Provo prisoner from Belfast was recalled to prison earlier this year over fears he had been engaging with paramilitaries – a claim he denies.
Dissident republicans hold white line protest in Derry on Saturday over recall to jail of two men
According to a report in today’s Sunday Life newspaper, Mellon has been scathing in his criticism of New IRA members in Belfast who were infiltrated by suspected MI5 agent Dennis McFadden.
Dissident republicans have dubbed McFaden as ‘Dennis The Rat’ after he spilled the beans on top level New IRA meetings to his MI5 and PSNI ‘C3’ Intelligence handlers.
The Scotsman is accused of bugging houses used by members of the gang’s army council, leading to nine prominent dissidents being remanded in custody charged with directing terrorism.
Mellon did not attend the summits – an absence seen as significant given his position as New IRA leader in Derry.
However, he has defended this position, saying he never trusted McFadden and poured scorn on those who did.
Those who did trust McFadden was the New IRA’s chief of staff Kevin Barry Murphy and chairman of the New IRA Executive Davy Jordan.
Yesterday’s protest was seen as the 44-year-old flexing his muscles, suggesting that while MI5’s Operation Arbacia has devastated the New IRA in Tyrone and Armagh, it has had little impact on the gang’s Derry leadership.
But two of Mellon’s trusted lieutenants were scooped as part of probe into the New IRA codenamed ‘Operation Arbacia’.
Derry Saoradh chairman Joe Barr (32), of Cecilia’s Walk and Gary Hayden (48), of Tyrconnell Street in the city, were charged with offences including membership of a proscribed organisation, directing terrorism, and two separate charges of preparatory acts of terrorism. Both were remanded in custody.
Barr was kicked out of the USA a number of years ago after he came to the attention of the FBI following a tip off from British intelligence that he was working in New York.
Hayden was convicted last year of taking part in an illegal ‘New IRA’ parade in Derry city.
A dissident source told Sunday Life: “This was Mellon sending a message to the cops saying, ‘I’m still here. What are you going to do about it?'”
Saoradh logistic officer Dennis ‘The Rat’ McFadden named in court as an MI5 agent
The 62-year-old was arrested at Heathrow Airport last month as part of the Operation Arbacia investigation.
Dr Bassalat was due to take a flight to Lebanon before he was arrested by detectives from the PSNI’s Terrorist Investigation Unit and officers from Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorist Command.
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