Brown family stunned by large-scale collusion

Shocking confirmation of British state collusion in the 1997 murder of County Derry GAA official Sean Brown came during a “harrowing” inquest hearing in Belfast this week.

The family of the innocent Catholic have now called for a public inquiry after the inquest review heard that in excess of 25 people, including state agents, were linked to his brutal murder.

The 61-year-old father-of-six was suddenly attacked and beaten by a pro-British death squad as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Gaelic club in County Derry in May 1997.

After he was placed in the boot of his own car, the popular sports official was taken to a country lane where he was shot six times.

While originally investigated as a purely sectarian killing, the suspicion has grown over the years that his murder was ordered by British officials in a bid to terrorise the nationalist community into supporting an end to the Provisional IRA’s armed struggle.

No-one has ever been charged with his killing, but at a hearing in Belfast on Tuesday it was confirmed for the first time that state agents were involved in Mr Brown’s murder.

A previous inquest hearing was told one suspect in the murder was a serving member of the British Army’s Royal Irish Regiment.

Des Fahy KC, acting for the Brown family, said there was “audible and visible upset” as the damning details were revealed.

He referred to the intelligence linking 25 people to the murder based in a number of separate locations.

“The family note that not a single one of those individuals was charged with any offence in relation to the murder of Sean Brown, never mind brought to court, in relation to the murder of Sean Brown,” he said.

He added that the “upset and distress of the family is related directly” to what they had heard.

“For many years they have made the case that there was collusion and the involvement of state agents in the murder of Sean Brown, but nevertheless, it is shocking and distressing to hear that in the context of this inquest” he said.

Mr Fahy suggested that it was “inevitable” the inquest could not deal with matters relating to state agents.

“What I say on behalf of the families is that the case now for a full public inquiry into all the circumstances of the murder of Sean Brown is now overwhelming,” he said.

He added: “I ask the question on behalf of the next-of-kin. What is the attitude of the Secretary of State (Chris Heaton-Harris) to the holding of a public inquiry?”.

“Their focus now, if a viable inquest is no longer possible, is devoting all of their efforts to securing a full and meaningful public inquiry into the circumstances of this murder.”

Speaking outside court, the Brown family lawyer Niall Murphy, of KRW Law, said the court proceedings had been “harrowing” for the family.

“The Browns endured the trauma of having to listen to this unvarnished fact, but fear that this is merely the tip of the iceberg.”

Alan Brecknell, of the Pat Finucane Centre, was in court with the Brown family.

“This can only mean that this information was withheld from the Police Ombudsman during that offices investigation into Sean’s murder and from the later police reinvestigation,” he said.

“The question now needs to be asked why was this information withheld and who authorised it.”

The Police Ombudsman at the time, Nuala O’Loan, has admitted her 2004 report on the killing, which found no police collusion, would have been “very different” had she been given the details which are now emerging.

She also voiced concern at the length of time it has taken for the Brown family to be told the truth.

“I think it’s outrageous that it has taken this long, and the Brown family have had to sit through hearing after hearing when material hasn’t been produced,” she said.

“I think it’s absolutely disgraceful that Mrs Brown has been subjected to this, and her children.”

Mr Brown’s inquest, which is due to resume next month, is one of several that will end on May 1 under the controversial new British legislation which blocks investigations into past war crimes in Ireland.

Mr Brown’s daughter Siobhan believes her father’s killers continue to be given cover by the British state.

“I believe they are still being protected,” she said, and said it left her feeling “really angry”.

“We are supposed to be in a society where everything is out in the open,” she said.

“We have moved on but nothing seems to have ever changed within those last 27 years.”

Ms Brown said her family always believed there was collusion in the murder of her father.

“We knew all along that there was something there but it came as a big shock and I think the fact there was over 25 potential suspects involved in intelligence in some format, that I think, was a bigger shock - the volume of them.”

M Brown said while her family was aware of the existence of suspects, they are surprised by the numbers involved.

“Never at any stage were we made aware that potentially there is at least 25 individuals, that was a shock,” she said.

“It was also a shock that they were from various locations within Northern Ireland as well, it wasn’t just concentrated.”

Ms Brown said it is important to establish how many of the more than 25 linked individuals were, or are, serving members of the PSNI, British army or their agents.

She said the idea of an overreaching conspiracy to kill her father is difficult to accept.

“It’s hard, because you have a case, what did he ever do to anyone?

“He was 61, chairman of the GAA club, he treated everyone the same but for individuals for that extent would be looking to take his life away from him - that’s really hard.”

Urgent Appeal