Adrian Ismay murder: Christopher Robinson is jailed for 22 years

A west Belfast man found guilty of murdering a prison officer, who died 11 days after a bomb exploded under his van, has been given a minimum jail term of 22 years.

Adrian Ismay, 52, died in hospital in 2016 after he was injured in the explosion near his home at Hillsborough Drive in east Belfast.

Christopher Robinson, 49, from Aspen Walk, had denied the murder.

In March, a judge said Robinson was "intimately and inextricably involved".

Robinson was also found guilty of possessing an improvised explosive device.

The non-jury trial heard that Robinson knew his victim from their time volunteering together for St John Ambulance.

Mr Justice McAlinden told Belfast Crown Court that Mr Ismay's murder had been "perpetrated in pursuance of a twisted republican terrorist ideology".

"The defendant played an important and integral role in planning and carrying out the terrorist operation which resulted in the death of Mr Ismay," he added.

Robinson was given a life sentence for the murder, but will be eligible to apply for release under licence after 22 years, the judge said.

In 2016, a dissident republican group widely referred to as the New IRA had claimed it had carried out the attack on Mr Ismay.

Robinson had denied he was an active member of the New IRA.