Shoot-to-kill verdict ‘ridicules British lies’

A landmark inquest has vindicated a Tyrone community and indicted the British Army and London government over their cowardly ambush of four young IRA Volunteers in Clonoe in 1992.

In the most high profile of the ‘shoot-to-kill’ ambushes and assassinations of the period, the British authorities ordered their ‘elite’ troops to carry out criminal and cold-blooded attacks on members of the East Tyrone Brigade of the Provisional IRA. They then issued a stream of lies to justify the killings and protect their hitmen.

Peter Clancy, 21, Kevin Barry O’Donnell, 21, Sean O’Farrell, 22, and Patrick Vincent, 20, known as the Clonoe Martyrs, were shot and killed by British specialist forces on February 16, 1992, on the grounds of St. Patrick’s Church in Clonoe, near Coalisland, Co Tyrone.

The planned executions of the men, all in their early twenties, have been confirmed as crimes and illegal breaches of the British Army’s own rules of engagement, with at least six different soldiers linked to the fatal shots.

The families of the victims now hope the outcome of the inquest will lead to justice. There are also hopes it will add pressure for the current British government to abandon plans to retain cover-up ‘legacy’ legislation designed by the Tories to prevent such embarrassing and far-reaching judgements, such as the one delivered at the Coroner’s Court in Belfast on Thursday.

Family members outside the court (pictured) said they were “overwhelmed” with the verdict that the killings were “not justified”.

The four men were in a lorry in Coalisland chapel car park when the soldiers opened fire on its occupants and three other vehicles in the car park, the coroner said.

Justice Humphreys set out what he said were the “indisputable” facts of the shooting of up to 570 bullets at the men, including some ‘coup de grace’ shots fired at point-blank range in the back and the face.

“A total of 514 spent cartridges, attributable to the guns fired by the [British] army, were recovered from the scene. The chapel was struck 60 times. The lorry was struck by at least 68 bullets.”

Notably, the inquest also found that British state agencies “perpetuated falsehoods” about the events at Clonoe, having claimed in a press release that there was an “exchange of gunfire”.

The coroner found that the circumstances of the incident at Clonoe were that: “No challenge was given; no person fired on the soldiers; automatic fire was used as well as aimed shots; one of the deceased was shot in the back whilst running away; and at least 514, and up to 570, rounds were fired by the soldiers.”

Peter Clancy was shot “whilst attempting to flee and then repeatedly whilst in a crouched or kneeling position on the ground.” He died as a result of a gunshot wounds to the head and trunk.

Kevin Barry O’Donnell was shot “in the back whilst attempting to flee and in the face whilst lying incapacitated on the ground.” He died of gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

Sean O’Farrell was shot “in the back whilst running away and then in the face whilst lying on the ground incapacitated.” He died as a result of gunshot wounds to the head and trunk. He was killed by shots fired by Soldier H, having previously been shot and wounded by Soldier L.

Patrick Vincent was shot “whilst seated in the cab of the lorry and then when lying incapacitated across the seat of the lorry through its open doors.” He died as a result of gunshot wounds to the chest. The fatal shots were fired by either Soldier B, C, or F.

“The use of lethal force was not justified at Clonoe on 16 February 1992,” the coroner said.

Speaking to the media after the verdict was handed down on Thursday, Marian Vincent, sister of Patrick Vincent (pictured, third from left), said: “We are completely overwhelmed.

“This has been a long, long, long process. The boys are dead 33 years next week. It has been the entirety of my life that this process has been ongoing.

“We’re tired. It’s hard to say you’re delighted at a finding over your family member’s death. We’re overwhelmed and delighted with the result, but we’re also very aware, at a huge expense to us as families.”

When asked if the families believed the four men could have been arrested, Vincent said: “Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely.

“I don’t know if 514 bullets are ever warranted, especially if you’re saying that there potentially could have been an arrest.

“You don’t go from an arrest situation to 514 bullets.”

Unionist and British military officials reacted with anger, describing those behind the ambush as “heroes” targeting “Irish terrorists”.

DUP MP Carla Lockhart hailed those who carried out the massacre as “the real soldiers”, while UUP hardliner Doug Beattie simply rejected the outcome as “ludicrous”.

Others demanded that the British military be assured of immunity for its killings in Ireland. Tory MP David Davis said “Soldiers will be leaving the [British] army, not being recruited, if we continue to allow the persecution of soldiers who served in Northern Ireland.”

Niall Murphy of KRW Law, who was instructed by the family of Kevin Barry O’Donnell, expressed his gratitude to the coroner, who he said had “skilfully and exhaustively” summarised the facts.

“Anyone who sat through those months of hearings, the inescapable conclusion, the only conclusion, is the verdict which the judge has found today - an unambiguous finding that all four of the deceased were unlawfully killed,” he said.

“Whereas truth has been excavated and published today, justice has not.

“Today’s verdict is the reason the Tory government bought in the Legacy Act. It was conceived and legislated for to ensure that truths could no longer be published. That is why it is so vital that the Legacy Act be repealed in its totality.”

Mr Murphy also said the verdict had “ridiculed the lies that were told after these murders”. He added: “Those lies have been confounded and corrected today, and the vilification that these families have had to tolerate in the 33 years since can now be lifted from them.”

Responding to the outcome, the 1916 Societies said that British policy in Ireland effectively condoned “extrajudicial summary executions” at the command of the “top echelons” of the British government.

“All those involved in such actions should be held to account,” they said.

Urgent Appeal