A Loyalist killer who attempted to murder Sinn Fein leaders Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams has escaped being sent to jail for life after a court was told that he is suffering from a serious illness which could leave him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

On Monday Michael Stone was jailed for 16 years for trying to kill the Sinn Fein leadership inside the Stormont Assembly in November 2006.

In 1989 the 53-year-old Loyalist had previously been jailed for life for a gun and bomb attack on a Republican funeral where he had attempted to murder Adams and McGuinness. Three mourners were killed in that attack.

Stone was eventually jailed for 684 years for the Milltown murders and the sectarian murders of three other Catholics. He was released from prison in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

In November 2006 he had tried to enter the Stormont Assembly armed with homemade bombs as Sinn Fein and the DUP were announcing their decision to go into government.

He later claimed that his actions were performance art, rather than a serious murder bid.

Trial judge Justice Deeney dismissed Stone's defense as "wholly undeserving of belief."

However, the judge said that he had decided not to impose a life sentence on Stone as his actions had not resulted in serious injury, and the fact that he suffers from a muscle wasting condition that would see him confined to a wheelchair in the future.

However, Deeney said he could not ignore Stone's previous role as a notorious Loyalist killer.

"He could hardly have a worse criminal record, and I do take into account the very grave offenses of which he was convicted in 1989."

However, the father-of-nine could still end up spending the rest of his life behind bars as it is likely that Secretary of State Shaun Woodward will insist that Stone must first serve the remaining 19 years of a 30 year tariff which had been imposed on him in 1989 before beginning the 16 year sentence imposed this week.

If imposed that would mean Stone would not be released until he was 88.