Double trouble
Irish man Sean Bourke helped the notorious Soviet double agent George Blake escape from prison, but that was just the start of his problems, writes David Blake Knox
Tragic end: Sean Bourke died penniless and in the throes of alcoholism in his native Limerick
The recent death of the notorious Soviet spy George Blake reminded me of a documentary film I made many years ago with Sean Bourke, the Irish man who was responsible for springing Blake from prison.
Bourke had been befriended by Blake when they shared a cell in Wormwood Scrubs. Blake had been a high-ranking officer in MI6 and the information that he passed on to his Soviet handlers had resulted in the deaths of many British agents in eastern Europe.
Join the Belfast Telegraph WhatsApp channel
Stay up to date with some of Northern Ireland's biggest stories
