In October 1983, seven people were convicted on the evidence provided by supergrass Kevin McGrady although the trial judge Lord Chief Justice Robert Lowry had described McGrady's evidence as "bizarre, incredible and contradictory". The last supergrass trial finished on 18 December 1985, when 25 members of the INLA were jailed on the evidence of Harry Kirkpatrick. Twenty-four of these convictions were later overturned on 23 December 1986. Many convictions based on supergrass testimony were later overturned, and the supergrass system was discontinued in 1985 until reintroduction in 2011. The first supergrass trial in 26 years began on 8 September 2011 for the murder of Ulster Defence Association (UDA) member Tommy English. In Northern Ireland the term "tout" is a popular alternative to "grass". The Police Service of Northern Ireland have refused to use this term and prefer the term Assisting Offender, based on the legislation that enables the use of such evidence. Other usages The term has also been used by The Royal Gazette, a daily newspaper in Bermuda, a British dependent territory. An article in the paper uses the term to describe a Transport Control Department worker convicted of selling driver's licenses to Portuguese applicants lacking the necessary English skills to pass the multiple choice exam. The worker was granted a conditional discharge in exchange for information on other Transport Control Department employees abusing the public trust. One of the most prolific supergrasses in recent British history was Michael Michael whose evidence in 2001 led to 32 criminals being convicted, including his own mother, and the disruption of a £132 million drug ring. The term was used to describe Girolamo Bruzzese after his brother Marcello was assassinated by the 'Ndrangheta on Christmas Day 2018 in revenge for Girolamo's serving as a witness in court against the 'Ndrangheta. See also Pentito Supergrass, an English alternative rock band The Supergrass, a 1985 English comedy film References Sources Supergrasses: The Use of Accomplice Evidence in Northern Ireland; Tony Gifford The Crowned Harp: Policing Northern Ireland — by Graham Ellison and Jim Smyth (2000) Supergrass tells of terror fight — BBC News article Kevin Morrison Liverpool Kevin Morrison Police informant jailed for life Liverpool Law enforcement terminology The Troubles (Northern Ireland) British slang Police informants