Diarmuid O'Neill: British coroner calls for inquiry
After three frustrating years, the faintest glimmer of light has appeared at the end of the tunnel for the family of Volunteer Diarmuid O'Neill, as they campaign for an independent public inquiry into his killing by the Metropolitan Police in September 1999.
They have learned that the Hammersmith Coroner, Dr John Burton, has written to Home Office minister Paul Boateng asking him to consider holding a judicial inquiry into the killing in the light of the controversy surrounding O'Neill death and the behaviour of officers of the Metropolitan Police's armed unit, SO19, both during and after the raid on his home in the early hours of 23 September 1996.
The Metropolitan Police have also been made aware of the coroner's request and have already begun to lobby the Home Office in an attempt to prevent the possibility of a judicial inquiry getting off the ground.
The news has come just as the O'Neill family and their supporters were beginning to feel that they had hit a brick wall with their campaign. The Justice for Diarmuid O'Neill Campaign welcomed the request to the Home Office, saying: ``The coroner feels that the killing is very contentious and that new powers recently given to the Home Office should be employed to set up an inquiry, rather than an inquest, as would be the normal arrangement''.
The new legislation to which they refer allows for controversial cases to be removed from the inquest system. If an inquiry were to be set up, it would be the first time the legislation has been put into practical effect.
The campaign has also written to Paul Boateng requesting a meeting and telling him: ``The killing of Diarmuid O'Neill raises many questions and requires full investigation, not only to ensure that justice is done, but also that it is seen to be done. A public inquiry would be part of this process''. The letter goes on to point out that ``some of the main issues relating to the shooting have caused disquiet amongst many members of the public who have become aware of Diarmuid's death''.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said that Dr Burton's decision placed an obligation on the British government to make sure the killing was fully investigated. He has written to Home Secretary, Jack Straw, asking him to act in the light of the coroner's admission that the case is sufficiently controversial to warrant an inquiry.
However, Diarmuid's father Eoghan, whilst welcoming the development, played down the significance of the past week's events, pointing out that the potential obstruction of the Metropolitan Police and the fact that Dr Burton is about to retire were difficulties likely to slow the process down - the new coroner will need to go through the whole process of acquainting him/herself with the case and may well come to a different conclusion. Nevertheless, he said that the family fully intends to pursue the matter with the Home Office, telling An Phoblacht: ``It's going to drag on, but the campaign continues until we get an inquiry''.
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