Arrest and Imprisonment
Hughes was eventually captured on 17 March 1978 near Maghera in County Londonderry after an exchange of gunfire with the British Army. A member of the Parachute Regiment, L/CPL David Jones, was killed in the gun battle, and another para seriously wounded. Hughes was wounded in the leg. He managed to limp away but was discovered the next morning in a search and surrendered to British troops.
In February 1980 he was sentenced to a total of 83 years in prison. Hughes was tried for, and found guilty of, the murder of one British Army soldier (for which he received a life sentence) and wounding of another (for which he received 14 years) in the incident which led to his capture, as well as a series of gun and bomb attacks over a six-year period. Security sources described him as "an absolute fanatic" and "a ruthless killer". Fellow republicans described him as "fearless and active".
Read more about this topic: Francis Hughes
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