An academic was aghast when her partner was accused of IRA activity. After his trial, he confessed

Mary Attenborough’s nightmare began when the police raided the flat she and Michael Gallagher shared, their memoir reveals, but their relationship prevailed

When police thundered into their London home in 1996 and arrested Michael Gallagher on suspicion of IRA activity, Margaret Attenborough was shocked and indignant.

She was an English academic who wrote books on geophysical software and her Scottish partner was a former civil servant who helped homeless alcoholics. The idea of him as an IRA man seemed ludicrous. Gallagher was romantic and cerebral – he had wowed Attenborough by completing the Guardian’s cryptic crossword in three minutes.