Stakes rise as Brown cover-up goes on

The 87-year-old widow of Sean Brown has said she is terrified by the secrets the British government is hiding after Direct Ruler Hilary Benn indicated he will take her husband’s case to the Supreme Court in London in a desperate bid to conceal the truth about his murder.

Mr Brown was brutally attacked and beaten as he locked the gates at the Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Gaelic sports club in County Derry, and later shot dead near Randalstown, County Antrim, in May 1997.

Last year, a coroner halted an inquest into the killing, expressing concern that his ability to examine the case had been compromised by the extent of confidential state material being excluded from the proceedings on the grounds of “national security”.

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal ruled the British government’s refusal to hold a public inquiry into his murder is unlawful. It also found it breaches Article Two obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect the right to life.

That ruling was upheld at the Court of Appeal last Friday, the 59th court appearance for the Brown family in their quest for justice. Mr Benn was again ordered to initiate a public inquiry into the murder, although the mandatory duty to do so was put on hold for four weeks to give Benn time to “reflect upon the judgement”.

But despite public and political pressure, the British government has already indicated its intention to snub the elderly widow.

“I pleaded directly with Hilary Benn not to be appealing Sean’s case to the Supreme Court in London, that he should do what the courts have told him to do,” Mrs Brown said.

“He has refused my plea. I’m not surprised but I am bitterly disappointed.”

She said she and her family are determined to fight on for the truth.

“Myself and my children will make sure that Sean’s case is made in London,” he said.

“I am still bewildered at how a government minister can refuse to abide by the directions of a court.

“That’s three different courts now, five High Court judges including the Lady Chief Justice herself.

“The taoiseach, the tánaiste and the chief constable all support a public inquiry.”

In addition to the involvement of 25 people in the murder, including state agents, it emerged during last year’s abandoned inquest that a key suspect was a serving member of the British Army. It is also known that a RUC police surveillance was halted the night before the murder, and that MI5 falsely claimed it had no intelligence relating to the killing.

Mrs Brown believes the British government is trying to conceal scandalous information.

“I am now terrified as to what secrets the British government are hiding. It seems we just don’t count,” she said.

Mrs Brown’s lawyer Niall Murphy, of KRW Law, said he was “disgusted” by British government attempts to “spin” the “appalling” decision.

He accused Benn of disclosing the contents of his “private correspondence” to Mrs Brown to sections of the media just over 90 minutes after it was emailed to him, branding the move a “disgrace”.

“This is another delaying tactic, wholly in line and consistent with 28 years of delay to date,” he added.

“Our judiciary could not have been clearer, three tiers of our courts have declared the decision not to convene a Article Two compliant mechanism as unlawful.

“So, do we live in a jurisdiction where the rule of law is to be respected or do we live in a jurisdiction where the government would thumb its nose at decisions of the court?”

He questioned whether the London government is intending to continue to break the law.

He said the Court of Appeal had given a “strong, firm, unambiguous and very clear order” compelling Benn to establish a public inquiry.

“The position is now crystal clear,” Mr Murphy added. “The Secretary of State has a binary choice: either comply with the law or continue to break the law. And, as a society, we should all hope that those who make our laws will not be those who will now break our laws.”

Mr Brown’s daughter Siobhan also described the handling of the announcement on Wednesday as “disgraceful”.

She said she had not even time to inform her mother or other family members about the move before Benn appeared on the media announcing his decision at Westminster.

“I hadn’t even got the chance to show that letter to my mother whenever Hilary Benn stood in Westminster and gave a press conference,” she told BBC Radio Ulster.

“And, again, it’s just another thing that the government are trying to do to undermine us as a family and treat us with so much disrespect, which has happened right through the 28 years since my father was murdered.”

She said the only acceptable way forward for her family was a public inquiry.

“There’s obviously very dirty secrets there that the government want to keep from us as a family and they’re going out right, taking all action that they possibly can to prevent that information coming out,” she said.

The family were applauded by a large crowd of supporters as they arrived at the Court of Appeal for Friday’s hearing.

Sinn Féin’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill and party president Mary Lou McDonald were among those who walked with them as they approached the court building.

The Brown family has rejected Benn’s suggestions they should instead engage with the ‘Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery’ (ICRIR), a supposed British ‘truth body’ which has ten former RUC police figures and staff on its payroll.

Another daughter, Clare Loughran, said her family felt “vindicated” by the Appeal Court. She asked what the London government is seeking to “hide”.

She highlighted that her mother was now 87 years old and has now endured almost 60 court appearances.

“What are they trying to hide? What are they trying to stall this for further?” she asked.

“All she (her mother) wanted ever is to find out why. We are 10 days away from the 28th anniversary of my father’s murder, the worst day of our lives, the most brutal thing that can happen to a really entirely innocent man. Why are they continuing to drag this through further? Let us get the truth.”

Ms O’Neill urged Mr Benn to “get on with it” and order a public inquiry.

“I think he’s living in a fool’s paradise if he thinks that the Brown family are going to go away, or if the community of Bellaghy are going to go away, or if the people right across the north (are going to go away),” said the Sinn Féin vice president.

“You’ve seen how many people came along to support this family yet again in the courts today. The court ruling is crystal clear. Get on with it. Do the public inquiry. Do the right thing. Have some degree of decency and stop putting Bridie Brown through this day and daily.”

Urgent Appeal