Freedom for one of Casement Three
By Eoin O'Broin
Pat Kane, one of the Casement Three, was released from jail last
week. 39 year old Kane was imprisoned for life in 1990 following
the killing of two British soldiers, Derek Wood and David Howes.
The British soldiers were attacked by mourners then shot by the
IRA after they drove into the funeral of Caoimhín MacBradaigh who
was murdered by loyalist killer Michael Stone in Milltown
cemetery a week earlier during the funerals of Volunteers Mairead
Farrell, Dan McCann and Sean Savage.
Kane was jailed along with Mickey Timmons and Sean Kelly in 1990.
All three were charged with aiding and abetting in the killings
on grounds of ``common purpose''. The controversial legal judgment
had previously only been used by the apartheid regime in South
Africa.
The trio, who became known as the Casement Three, were convicted
on the grounds that they were in Casement Park where the two
British soldiers were beaten, before being taken away and
executed by the IRA.
Despite losing their appeals, Kane's case was referred back to
the appeal court by former Direct Ruler Patrick Mayhew on the
grounds of Kane's mental and psychological state during his
interrogation. Speaking outside the appeal court on Belfast's
Chichester Street, shortly after his release Kane told
journalists, ``I just kept hoping and praying that this day would
come. It is thanks to my legal team that I am standing here. But
there are two other men, Mickey Timmons and Sean Kelly, who
should be here with me. Justice has been done for me but not for
them''.
Welcoming the release Sinn Féin's legal affairs spokesperson
Barry McElduff said, ``this judgment is welcome. However the
initial conviction whereby the three were sentenced using the
common purpose judgment effectively remains intact. This must be
overturned and Sean Kelly and Mickey Timmons released
immediately''.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)