Death of Derry man highlights fate of informers

A British agent inside the New IRA has died – Derry man Billy Elliot had been under the protection of the Crown Forces since fleeing his home in May 2022.

The cause of his death has not been revealed.

In May 2022 Saoradh named Elliot as someone who was working for British state services while posing as a republican. They said his death has “exposed the reality” of what happens to informers.

“The recruitment and use of informers like Billy Elliot, and others, by British Crown Force terrorists and MI5 is not the glamorous world often depicted in fiction. There are no lavish lifestyles, no high-stakes espionage thrills—just manipulation, exploitation, abandonment and eventually death.

“The reality is far grimmer. Vulnerable individuals, often struggling with financial difficulties, addiction, or personal crises, are coerced into becoming informers, only to be discarded when they are no longer useful.

“MI5 and Crown Force terrorists do not typically recruit informers from positions of strength. Instead, they seek out people who are desperate, isolated, or easily manipulated.

“Rather than offering genuine support, the British state agencies leverage these vulnerabilities to pressure individuals into working for them.”

This week, it was coincidentally revealed that another informer had been subjected to extreme coercion by British forces to force him to comply with their demands.

The family of Joseph Mulhern, who was executed by the Provisional IRA in 1993, has revealed they were told that he became an agent after being threatened that his father would be shot by loyalists, and that his siblings taken into care, if he did not agree to work for the British state.

Informers are not given a choice in the way they are portrayed in spy movies, Saoradh noted. Many are blackmailed, threatened, or deceived into compliance, which then leads to exploitation, isolation, abandonment, and death.

“The idea that informers live a luxurious life, well-compensated for their risks, is a myth. While they may be given small payments or temporary protection, they are not treated with care or loyalty.

“Unlike the British agents who control them, informers have no security, no safety net, and no real future. They are used for intelligence gathering and then discarded when they are no longer needed.

“For many informers, the consequences of their involvement are severe. Once exposed, they face threats from their own communities, often forced into hiding or relocation with minimal support. The agencies that once relied on them for information quickly distance themselves, leaving them to deal with the fallout alone.

“Some informers suffer from extreme guilt, isolation, and even mental health issues as a result of their actions. Others become repeat targets of manipulation, dragged back into the system whenever intelligence agencies see a use for them again.

“The use of informers is not about justice or security—it is about control. By turning people against their own communities, the Crown Forces and MI5 maintain a cycle of mistrust and division, ensuring that no movement can remain united against them.

“Those who are recruited are not given a second chance at life. Instead, they are treated as disposable assets, used until they are exposed or exhausted, and then abandoned without a second thought.”

They said it was “crucial” for those approached or pressure into informing to come forward and speak to their local Saoradh representative.

“There is no shame in being approached or contacted by the occupier. The only shame is working for them.”

Urgent Appeal