The ex-wife of an MI5 agent has secured a “significant” settlement against the state in the first in a series of civil cases related to the double agent, Freddie Scappaticci.
Margaret Keeley claimed Scappaticci, who the Army gave the codename Stakeknife, tortured and degraded her.
She issued proceedings in 2008 against the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Scappaticci.
Keeley claimed the police and MoD both knowingly allowed her to be interrogated and threatened by a man working as an agent for the state over a two-day period in north Belfast in 1994.
Margaret Keeley’s former husband was Peter Keeley, also known as Kevin Fulton, who was a former British agent who infiltrated the IRA.
She said that for more than 30 years “I’ve lived with the trauma of what happened to me”.
“Bringing this case was never about money, but seeking truth and accountability and ensuring the truth was acknowledged,” Keeley said.
“I hope it is another step towards accountability and justice for all those affected by Stakeknife.”
Claire McKeegan, solicitor at Phoenix Law, said Keeley’s settlement was “a hugely significant day” for all of Scappaticci’s victims.
“This is the first time the state has settled a civil action concerning the conduct of its agent, and it represents an important step towards accountability.
“It brings a conclusion to a long a protracted legal battle which our client fought for decades.”