Irish Republican News · November 3, 2018

PSNI notebook was source of loyalist threat

The son of a County Tyrone couple who were shot dead by the unionist paramilitary UVF is to take legal action after discovering a police notebook containing his personal details was in the hands of the same organisation who murdered his parents.

Paddy Fox, whose parents Charlie and Theresa were shot dead by the Mid Ulster UVF at their home in 1992, said he was warned by the PSNI police in 2004 that he was under threat from loyalists.

However he was never told that he was endangered because his details were contained in a PSNI notebook which had somehow come into the possession of loyalists.

According to the Irish News, which has seen the notebook, it contains details of police operations and briefings, along with lists of names, addresses and car registrations.

Personal details relating to Paddy Fox, whose parents were murdered by the UVF, were contained in the notebook. It gives details of Mr Fox’s address and also contains the make and colour of the car he was driving.

A number of other republicans are named on a PSNI ‘watch list’ which also lists their dates of birth, addresses, car makes and registrations.

The PSNI have refused to say how notebook found its way into the hands of loyalists, but none of those whose details were included were informed of what appears to be an obvious incident of collusion.

Mr Fox said: “In the past I have been informed by the police that my details were in the hands of loyalists but at no time was I ever told how they got them.

“It now seems the details were from the very people issuing me the warnings. There needs to be some accountability for this,” he said.

Peter Corrigan of Phoenix Law, which represents a number of those named in the notebook, said: “We will be taking civil action against the PSNI and Chief Constable for this very serious data breach, that potentially resulted in at least one of my clients being told he was under threat from loyalists back in 2004.

“The PSNI had a duty of care to inform those listed in this notebook at the time that they had lost their private details and failed to do so”, he added.

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