Republican News · Thursday 29 May 2003

Relatives to take legal action against Stone book

Relatives of those killed by unionist paramilitary Michael Stone have initiated legal action in response to the recent publication of his book, None Shall Divide Us.

The families of those who died in Stone's Milltown cemetery attack, together with those who were injured, have instructed lawyers to issue proceedings against the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the British Ministry of Defence for damages.

The action has resulted from allegations of Crown forces collusion in the Milltown attack, which took place on 16 March 1988. Relatives of the dead and injured may also seek to sue Stone for profits arising from the sale and distribution of his book.

In a statement released through the Belfast-based Relatives for Justice group on Friday 23 May, relatives affected by Stone's actions said the fact that a multiple killer can profit from his exploits is "morally reprehensible and repugnant".

The families' statement continued: "We have raised this matter with a number of people and believe that a stand needs to be taken, not only in this instance, but also to prevent other families in the future from being subjected to the similar grotesque spectacle that we and our immediate families have had to endure in recent weeks.

"All this has taken its toll, from the insensitive nature of it, to the added trauma. In this context, we welcome the move by UTV to remove the advertisement from its schedule last week."

The statement comes on the heels of a tasteless publicity campaign to promote Stone's newly released book. Selected excerpts were published last week by the pro-British tabloid Sunday Life.

Stone killed three men and injured 63 - including a young boy and a grandmother - during a gun and grenade attack on the funeral of three IRA Volunteers killed by the SAS in Gibralter.

Thomas McErlean, John Murray, and IRA Volunteer Caoimhín MacBrádaigh all died in the Milltown attack as they fearlessly rushed to disarm and subdue the assassin. Stone was also found guilty of the killings of Paddy Brady in 1984, Kevin McPolin in 1985, and Dermot Hackett in 1987.

In his book, the loyalist claims to have had assistance from Crown forces in the planning and organisation of the killings.

Among the many admissions he makes, Stone says he used weapons taken from the South African shipment of arms imported by British agent Brian Nelson, that he also used an RUC issue Ruger pistol and ammunition, that a member of the RUC drove him to collect the weapons and return with them safely, and that he had received RUC files full of material to aid him in targeting people

His allegations are echoed by relatives of the dead, who said the revelations came as no surprise to them or the wider community.

"There has been a long held view that Stone did not act alone in his attack on mourners at Milltown cemetery," say the relatives. "If the incident had occurred in any other society our loved ones would have been posthumously honoured for their actions, valour and immediate disregard for their own. But this was never going to happen for the agents of the state-assisted Stone."