LISTEN: Families of UDA murder victims ‘vindicated by ombudsman report’

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

Relatives of those killed and injured in a series of UDA attacks said they have been vindicated following a Police Ombudsman report which found evidence of “collusive behaviours” by police.

Eight loyalist attacks attributed to the UDA were examined in the ombudsman’s 344-page report published on Tuesday.

Among the atrocities probed were the Sean Graham bookmakers massacre on the Ormeau Road in Belfast in February 1992 in which five people lost their lives.

Among her findings in a 344-page report, Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson said Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) files relating to the bookmakers massacre had been deliberately destroyed.

Mark Sykes, a survivor of the attack, said: “This is a long report, which will take families days to process and come to terms with.

“Immediately families are shocked to read in the report that eight British state agents were involved in 27 murders and attempted murders.”

Mr Sykes said the report showed that state agents were “a protected species” as information about their actions was not shared with investigating officers.

The report also covered the murders of Harry Conlon and Aidan Wallace by the UDA in 1991.

Paul Conlon, the son of Harry Conlon, said: “This report contains devastating details regarding the killing of our father.”

The report also examined the murder of Theresa Clinton in 1994.

Her daughter Siobhan Clinton said there were “deliberate practices” of collusion in the murder of her mother.

She said: “The Police Ombudsman said a senior RUC officer decided not to warn my father and that had he been warned she finds that my mother’s murder could have been prevented.”

Solicitor Niall Murphy, who represents families affected by the Police Ombudsman report into 11 UDA murders in south Belfast, said the UK Government is trying to shut down future scrutiny of allegations of security force collusion.

Last year, the Government published a command paper outlining its intention to prohibit future prosecutions of military veterans and ex-paramilitaries for Troubles incidents pre-dating April 1998.

The plan would also see the end of all legacy inquests and civil actions and prevent the Police Ombudsman from examining Troubles-related incidents.

Contending that the criminal justice route is not delivering for victims, the Government claims a move to a new truth recovery model will help bereaved families gain information about the deaths of their loved ones.

Despite pledging to do so by last autumn, it has not yet published draft legislation that would give effect to the plan.

The proposals are opposed by all the main parties at Stormont, the Irish Government and many victims’ groups.

Mr Murphy heavily criticised the legacy proposals as he joined bereaved families at a news conference in south Belfast on Tuesday.

“There can be no doubt that the intention of those proposals is to ensure that reports like today are never published again,” he said.

“The British Government are attempting an immunity so wide-ranging that it would have made (General) Pinochet blush in Chile.

“This report must be considered a catalyst and a clarion call to ensure that these proposals never become law.”

The solicitor added:

“The purpose of the legacy proposals couldn’t be more clear on a day like this.

“They don’t want any more 348-page reports which condemn their police officers for colluding in multiple murders.

“So that’s why they want to close this (ombudsman’s) office and that’s why that proposal can never be allowed to happen, can never be allowed to become law.

“The British Government should be ashamed of itself today when one reads this report and when one considers what their published proposals are to do.”

Niall Murphy:

(Relatives of those killed and injured in a series of UDA attacks said they have been vindicated following a Police Ombudsman report which found evidence of “collusive behaviours” by police.)