Date

Name

Age

Sex

Reli-gion

Affili-ation

Alleged Perpe-trator

Location Town / Area

Location County / Country

Details

Category

Arrests / Prosecutions

Sources

Arrest / Prosecution Details

McDermott was shot at his home by the UVF [1]

His wife was shot twice in the throat but survived.  Their 3½ year old daughter witnessed the attack [2]

He was the son-in-law of Larne Cllr. William Cunning who received letter bomb in 1991 [3]

A 31 year old man was sentenced to life imprisonment of the murder of McDermott and the attempted murder of Mrs McDermott, and possession of weapon [4]

[1] CAIN, University of Ulster

[2] Lost Lives, p 1344

[3] Relatives for justice. 

www.relativesforjustice.com

[1] IRA member shot while stopping bombs, Belfast Telegraph, 04 November 2004

[2] CAIN, University of Ulster

[3] IRA member shot while stopping bombers, Irish Independent, 04 November 2004

31-Aug-94

Sean MacDermott

37

M

C

Civilian

UVF

Antrim

Co Antrim

Mr MacDermott was abducted from the house where he was lodging in Antrim. A gang broke in the door with sledgehammers, dragged him from his bed, and bound him with tape before taking him away. He was later found dead in a car, shot twice in the head with a shotgun.[1]

[1] Lost Lives, by David McKittrick, Seamus Kelters, Brian Feeney, and Chris Thornton, Mainstream Publishing, Edinburgh, 1999, no. 3517

01-Sep-94

John O’Hanlon

32

M

C

Civilian

UFF

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot from passing vehicle while working on a friend’s car on Skegoneill Road in North Belfast. The UFF claimed Mr O’Hanlon was a ‘known Republican’. At the inquest, however, the Coroner disputed this claim, saying there was “no basis of fact in it at all.” At the same time, he said that the only possible conclusion was that it was a sectarian murder. The gun used by the killer had been linked to other attacks in North Belfast between March and September 1994.[1]

[1] UFF blasted for ‘sectarian killing’ of last victim, Irish News, 22 June 1995

10-Nov-94

Frank Kerr

54

M

C

Civilian

IRA

Newry

Co Down

Postal worker killed during a bungled £130,000 robbery of the Newry sorting office. Mr Kerr struggled with one of the robbers, who had tied up several workers inside the sorting office, and was shot in the head. The IRA admitted the robbery and killing but denied it was a breach of the ceasefire, claiming a breakdown in their chain of command.[1]

Two men, Declan McComish (28) and Kevin Patrick Donegan (39) were arrested with Mr Kerr’s bloodstained uniform in their possession. In December 1996, they were found not guilty of murder, but were convicted of assisting the IRA killers.[2] Mr Donegan was sentenced to eight years and six and a half years and Mr McComish was sentenced to five and a half years and four years, to run concurrently, for assisting the killing and for their part in the robbery respectively[3]. Mr Donegan was released in 1998 under the Good Friday Agreement[4].

[4] IRA hunger striker freed in peace deal, by John Mullin, Guardian, 22 October 1998

12-Dec-94

Malachy Martin Clark

17

M

C

Civilian

Self inflicted

West Belfast

Co Antrim

Hanged himself after a so-called punishment beating by a group of IRA men (on 21 October 1994) for glue-sniffing that left him in the hospital with a broken nose and ruptured eardrum[1]. Left a note saying that the beating drove him to suicide[2].

[2] Ulster beatings: No truce in sight; IRA, Loyalists using violence to keep control, by Ray Moseley, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 1995

22-Dec-94

Noel Lyness

47

M

C

Civilian

Loyalists?

South Belfast

Co Antrim

Assaulted, assumedly with a breeze block found at the scene. The killing is believed to have been sectarian.[1] The murder was not believed to have been sanctioned by the UVF, UDA or Red Hand Commando, but was believed to have been committed by a non-specific loyalist group [2].

[2] Hatred awaits decommissioning as ceasefires hold, by Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times, 29 December 1994

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/chron/1994/html

02-Mar-95

James (Jim) Seymour

55

M

P

RUC

IRA

Co Tyrone

RUC man died 22 years after being shot in the head on 4 May 1973 by a gunman who opened fire as Mr Seymour was returning to duty at the RUC station. He remained paralyzed in hospital throughout the 22 year period.[1]

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3522

28-Apr-95

Michael (Mickey) Mooney

34

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

Belfast city centre

Co Antrim

Shot while at a bar by two unmasked gunman who escaped on foot. Mr Mooney was thought to have been targeted because he was reportedly the leader of one of the largest drug gangs in Northern Ireland.[1] This was the first murder claimed by the IRA using the cover name Direct Action Against Drugs[2].

Drugs-related killing

[2] 13 victims of the Provos’ policing drive, by Maeve Connolly, Irish News, 23 February 2002

05-Sep-95

Anthony (Tony) Kane

29

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

West Belfast

Co Antrim

A known drug dealer shot while waiting with his wife in his car outside a church after his aunt’s funeral. Mr Kane had reportedly been an acquaintance of Mickey Mooney.[1]

Drugs-related killing

[1] Belfast drugs dealer shot dead after funeral, by Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times, 6 September 1995

28-Sep-95

William (Billy) Elliott

32

M

P

RHC

RHC

Bangor

Co Down

Shot twice in the head at close range, allegedly for his part in the band hall murder of Margaret Wright, a Protestant woman falsely believed to be Catholic, in April 1994. Frankie Curry, a leading figure in the Red Hand Commando, said he killed Billy Elliot.  He was the RHC leader in the Donegal area [1]

Thomas Maginnis (38) was charged with the murders of Mr Elliott, Mark Sweeney, Brian O’Rawe, and William Paul, as well as conspiracy to murder and wound, possession of guns, robbery, theft and arson. He had made admissions during secretly recorded conversations with police about the murders, and confessed to some of the murders on being confronted with the taped admission. In October 2000, this man was freed by Belfast Crown Court Lord Justice McCollum, who ruled that the accused would probably not get a fair trial because of inappropriate tactics used by the police in obtaining a confession.[2]

[2] Murder accused freed despite confession, by Anne McClean, Irish News, 2 October 2000

[3] 'Judges frees man who confessed to four murders' by David Sharrock, The Telegraph, 30 September 2000

27-Nov-95

Norman Harley

45

M

C

Civilian

Loyalists

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Assaulted and killed with an iron bar on his way home to Castleton Gardens. The killing did not involve paramilitary groups, but originally seemed to have sectarian motives.[1] A judge later disputed this claim during the sentencing of two men convicted of murder and manslaughter[2].

In June 1997, Christopher MacMillan (22) was convicted of murder and jailed for life. Mark Bellringer (22) was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years. The judge ruled it was not a sectarian attack, but was probably to get money for alcohol. Mr Bellringer was also sentenced to four years for causing grievous bodily harm to another man on the same evening in the same park. Bellringer was the first man to be released under the Good Friday Agreement [3]

[3] Life sentence for ‘vicious’ murder, Irish Times, 22 June 1997 http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1998/09/12/ihead.htm

08-Dec-95

Paul 'Saul' Devine

35

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

South Belfast

Co Antrim

Joe Hendron (SDLP MP) claimed the murder constituted a breach of the IRA ceasefire[3]

Drugs-related killing

[2] Bargaining in blood, by John Davison, Andrew Grice and Ciaran Byrne, Sunday Times, 7 January 1996

[3] http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch95.htm

18-Dec-95

Francis Collins

40

M

C

Former IRA

IRA / DAAD

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot by two unmasked gunmen in front of his fish and chip shop, where he and his wife were working. The killing was supposedly drugs-related, but his wife claims that it arose from a personal vendetta by individuals within the republican movement. A detective sergeant said that there was no evidence of drug involvement, and it might have been a case of mistaken identity.[1] Mr Collins had been involved with IRA bombings and shootings in the 1970s[2].

Drugs-related killing?

[2] Lost Lives, no. 3528

19-Dec-95

Christopher ‘Sid’ Johnson

38

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

South Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot by two gunmen in front of his home in drugs-related circumstances. At the time of his death, Mr Johnson was on bail, after having been charged with possession of £250,000 worth of cannabis.[1] There were conflicting reports on whether the charges had been dropped. DAAD, however, claimed to have committed the murder because Mr Johnson was dealing drugs.[2]

[2] Confusion on status of charges against man shot in Belfast, by Gerry Moriarty and Geraldine Kennedy, Irish Times, 21 December 1995

27-Dec-95

Martin McCrory

30

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

West Belfast

Co Antrim

Killed by double shotgun blast in the living room of his home while watching television. Traces of ecstasy were found in his bloodstream, consistent with ‘recreational use’, but an RUC Det Inspector told the inquest that his involvement in drug dealing had reportedly ceased a few years before his death.[1] Mr McCrory had previously been the victim of a punishment attack[2].

Drugs-related killing

[2] Lost Lives, no. 3530

02-Jan-96

Ian Lyons

31

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

Lurgan

Co Armagh

Killed in his car by two masked gunmen in a drugs-related shooting as he sat with his girlfriend outside her home. Mr Lyons’ family denied he had any drug involvement, and the RUC said he was known to them in only general terms.[1]

Drugs-related killing?

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3531

31-Jan-96

Gino Gallagher

32

M

C

INLA

INLA

West Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot four times in the back of the head as he signed on at the Falls Road Social Security Office[1]. This killing was part of an INLA internal feud between Gino Gallagher and Hugh Torney’s factions after Hugh Torney had been ousted as chief of staff of INLA. Numerous people were shot and/or killed over the next eight months as part of this feud.[2]

INLA feud

Charles Kevin Begley of Belfast was accused of the murder and went on trial at Belfast Crown Court, but the charge was dropped because he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of conspiring to murder a person or persons unknown. Mr Begley was also convicted and sentenced to 11 years for planning another murder.[3]

[3] Man jailed for murder plot, Irish Times, 16 October 1997

09-Feb-96

John Jefferies

31

M

U

Civilian

IRA

Docklands, London

England

Killed when an approximately 1,000 pound IRA bomb exploded near Canary Wharf in Docklands, London. This was the end of the IRA ceasefire, which had lasted 17 months. The IRA issued a statement and bomb warning a short time before the bomb went off, but this did not allow enough time to clear the area.[1]

A 34-year-old man and James McCardle (29) were charged with conspiring to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. Mr McCardle was also charged with murdering Inan Bashir and John Jeffries. The 34-year-old man was acquitted after the judge ruled there was insufficient evidence against him.[2] In a retrial after the first jury failed to reach a verdict, Mr McCardle was sentenced to 25 years for the conspiracy charge. The jury was not allowed to consider the murder charge because of press coverage.[3] Mr McCardle was released from the Maze prison in July 2000 as part of the Good Friday Agreement’s early release scheme for paramilitary prisoners[4].

[4] Symbol of a painful peace: Largest one-day exodus in 30 years sees 78 freed from Maze, by John Mullin, Guardian, 29 July 2000

Patrick McKinley (34 in 1998)

09-Feb-96

Inan Ul-Haq Bashir

29

M

U

Civilian

IRA

Docklands, London

England

Killed when an IRA bomb exploded near Canary Wharf in Docklands, London[1]. (see above)

(see above)

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3533

18-Feb-96

Edward O’Brien

21

M

C

IRA

Self inflicted

Aldwych, London

England

Killed when his own bomb exploded, assumedly prematurely, in a bus in central London. After his death, security forces found Semtex, timers, detonators, and ammunition in his London home. Five other people were injured in the explosion.[1]

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3535

04-Mar-96

John Fennell

40

M

C

INLA

INLA

Bundoran, Co Donegal

Republic of Ireland

One of the founders of INLA, battered to death with breeze blocks at a caravan site in Bundoran after supposedly ‘confessing’ to Gino Gallagher’s death under torture. This was done as part of the INLA feud.[1] A companion disappeared for several days, but was found safe, his head covered and hands bound, on 8 March[2].

INLA feud

A man in his 20s was questioned by Gardai, but released on 8 April 1996[3].

[3] Man held in Fennell murder, Irish Times, 9 April 1996

15-Mar-96

Barbara McAlorum

9

F

C

Civilian

INLA

North Belfast

Co Antrim

9-year-old shot by a spray of gunfire as she was playing with a jigsaw puzzle in the living room of her home. The shooting was associated with the INLA internal feud, and the gunman was believed to have belonged to Gino Gallagher’s faction of INLA. A 19-year-old man visiting the house, Ciaran Scott, was injured in the shooting.[1] Her father was targeted with a bomb in May 1996 while visiting his son at Maghaberry prison[2].

INLA feud

A number of men were arrested and questioned in the weeks following the killing, but were released without charge[3].

[3] Lost Lives, no. 3537

21-Mar-96

Thomas (Tommy) Sheppard

41

M

P

UVF

UVF

Ballymena

Co Antrim

Killed by three shots fired by two gunmen in a bar in Ballymena. Security sources claimed that loyalist paramilitaries were involved.[1] The Sunday Times from the week of 24 March 1996 claimed the UVF had carried out the killing because they believed Mr Sheppard was an informer[2].

Police were questioning one man shortly after the killing.[3]

[3] RUC question man in loyalist's murder, by Suzanne Breen, Irish Times, 23 March 1996

25-May-96

Dessie McCleery

37

M

C

INLA

INLA

Central Belfast

Co Antrim

Hugh Torney’s deputy, who was shot in the crowded bar of a pizza restaurant in central Belfast by the INLA faction loyal to Gino Gallagher[1].

INLA feud

A 30-year-old man was charged with involvement in the murder in 1996[2]. In December, 1997, he was acquitted of the murder. His girlfriend, however, was sentenced to community service for providing a false alibi for him.[3]

[3] Conviction for false alibi, Irish Times, 31 January 1998

Brendan Patrick Gallagher (30 in 1996), brother of Gino Gallagher

07-Jun-96

Gerard (Jerry) McCabe

52

M

C

An Garda Síochána

IRA

Adare, Co Limerick

Republic of Ireland

Hit by three of the fourteen bullets fired during a robbery of an An Post truck carrying £100,000 in pension and social security money which he and a colleague were guarding. Some months after the attack, the IRA admitted that some of its members carried out the killing.[1]

Four men, Kevin Walsh, Pearse McAuley, Jeremiah Sheedy and Michael O'Neill, pleaded guilty to manslaughter fifteen days into the trial, 3 February 1999, and were given sentences of 11-14 years[2]. A fifth man, John Quinn, was sentenced to four years for conspiracy to rob[3]. In March 2003, the High Court rejected a Sinn Féin bid for the early release under the Belfast Agreement for two men jailed in connection with the robbery in which Mr McCabe was killed[4].

[4] Garda's killer to challenge sentence, by Mary Carolan, Irish Times, 29 March 2003

09-Jun-96

Francis Shannon

23

M

C

INLA

INLA

West Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot at close range in Turf Lodge by Gino Gallagher’s INLA faction as part of the INLA internal feud. Mr Shannon’s natural father was John Fennell, who was killed in March 1996.[1] When he was killed, Mr Shannon was wearing a wig in order to disguise himself and was wearing a bullet-proof vest[2].

INLA feud

[2] INLA murder victim was wearing a wig, The Herald (Glasgow), 11 June 1996

08-Jul-96

Michael McGoldrick

31

M

C

Civilian

LVF

Lurgan

Co Armagh

Taxi driver shot in the run-up to the 1996 Drumcree crisis. Mr McGoldrick was taking a passenger to a predominantly Catholic village outside of Lurgan and was lured into a small back lane, where the driver of another car got into the taxi and shot Mr McGoldrick five times in the back of the head.[1]

Clifford McKeown, a LVF member who was an associate of Billy Wright, was charged with the murder on 6 November 2001. He was convicted and sentenced to 24 years in April 2003, but the sentence may be reduced under the terms of the Good Friday agreement. Mr McKeown planned to appeal the sentence. The conviction came primarily from evidence presented by journalist Nick Martin Clark, to whom McKeown admitted the killings, which he described as a ‘birthday present’ for Wright.[2]

[2] Loyalist murderer jailed for 27 years, by Damien Henderson, The Herald, 10 April 2003

12-Jul-96

Thomas Annett

34

M

P

UDA

Loyalists

South Belfast

Co Antrim

Assaulted outside a bar on Ormeau Road. Police said the killing was not sectarian, but associates and family members believed that the killing was a result of loyalist paramilitary involvement.[1]

A 30-year-old man was charged with the murder on 20 November 1997[2]. In August 2001, this same man was charged with possessing documents useful to terrorists. These documents supposedly emanated from British army spy Brian Nelson.[3]

[3] Court releases three on bail, Irish News, 25 August 2001

Colin Stephen Lindsay (30 in 1997)

13-Jul-96

Dermot 'Tonto' McShane

35

M

C

Former INLA

Army

Derry

Co Derry

Killed in Derry during the Drumcree riots when an army vehicle drove into a piece of corrugated metal behind which Mr McShane was sheltering[1].

In 1998, the Director of Public Prosecution decided not to prosecute the driver of the vehicle[2]. In 2002, in McShane v. the United Kingdom, the European Court of Human Rights unanimously ruled that the UK had violated Mr McShane’s right to life by failing to effectively investigate his death. Mr McShane’s wife was awarded £8,000 in damages and £8,000 in costs.[3]

[3] Court finds man's right to life violated, Irish Times, 29 May 2002

03-Sep-96

Hugh Torney

41

M

C

INLA

INLA

Lurgan

Co Armagh

Shot by gunmen from Gino Gallagher’s INLA faction outside a house in Lurgan, Co Armagh, as part of the internal INLA feud between his faction and Gino Gallagher’s faction. Mr Torney had been ousted as INLA chief of staff by Gino Gallagher, and had reportedly ordered Gino Gallagher’s assassination in January 1996.[1]

INLA feud

Three men were questioned about the murder, but released without charge[2]. Liam McAnoy, the man accompanying Mr Torney when Mr Torney died and who was wounded in the attack, went on trial in 1997 on an arms charges relating to the event in question[3]. In February 1998, Mr McAnoy was sentenced to six and a half years in prison[4].

[4] Man jailed for possessing gun, Irish Times, 10 February 1998

16-Sep-96

John Paul ‘Sean’ Devlin

31

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

South Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot three times in the head by two masked men in a house in Friendly Street, the day before he was to appear in court on drugs charges. The IRA had supposedly threatened him to leave Northern Ireland or be shot.[1]

Drugs-related killing

[1] Drugs group admits murder in Belfast, by Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times, 17 September 1996

21-Sep-96

Kenneth Auld

47

M

P

Civilian

Republicans

Glenarm

Co Antrim

Died four days after he was stabbed with screwdriver while trying to stop republicans removing an Ulster flag from a post outside the Masonic Hall[1].

A 26-year-old man who was charged with the killing claimed he was drunk at the time, then was himself struck on the head with a flagpole, and thus remembers nothing of the incident[2]. He was subsequently acquitted[3].

[3] Attacks continue in North Antrim, An Phoblacht/Republican News, 15 January 1998

Gregory Oliver O’Neill (26 in 1997)

22-Sep-96

George Scott

32

M

P

UVF?

Unknown

Cookstown

Co Tyrone

Beaten to death in his flat in a ‘failed’ punishment beating for previous fights and threats[1].

Two of the accused, Robert Stewart (39) and George Watterson (31) pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 1998. The murder cases against three men, Gary McGuckin (31), Mark McGuckin (36), and Rodger Crooks (24) went to trial in January 1998[2]. Mark McGuckin was found guilty of murder, while Gary McGuckin and Rodger Crooks were found guilty of a lesser charge of manslaughter[3].

[3] Murder and manslaughter verdicts for beating gang, by Martin Anderson, Irish News, 1 July 1998

23-Sep-96

Diarmuid O’Neill

27

M

C

IRA

Metropolitan police

Hammersmith, London

England

Unarmed IRA member shot six times during a botched arrest operation in a Hammersmith hotel in which the duplicate room key did not work, the battering ram broke a hole in the door without opening the door, and 10 rounds of CS gas were thrown into the room, impeding the vision of the arresting officers.[1]

In February 2000, a jury exonerated the police officers, ruling that Mr O’Neill was lawfully shot during this arrest operation even though the operation went ‘badly wrong’[2]. The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute the officer who shot Mr O’Neill. Friends and family members are campaigning for a full inquiry into the death.[3]

[3] No trial for officer who shot IRA man, by Duncan Campbell, Guardian, 27 April 1999

10-Oct-96

Darren Murray

12

M

C

Civilian

Unknown

Portadown

Co Armagh

Died two days after being struck by van during a confrontation between nationalist and loyalist children shouting taunts at each other[1].

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3550

11-Oct-96

James Bradwell

43

M

U

Army

IRA

Lisburn

Co Antrim

Warrant officer killed by car bombs at Thiepval barracks, the British Army headquarters in Lisburn, Co Antrim. Mr Bradwell died four days after attack, in which 31 other people were injured.[1]

One man was charged with conspiring to cause the explosion, but failed to return to court in 1997[2]. As of 2002, he was still a fugitive and appeared on the list of fugitives Sinn Féin submitted to the government for amnesty[3].

[3] IRA fugitives at heart of amnesty dispute, The Times, 13 March 2002

Michael Gerard Rogan

29-Oct-96

Thomas Stewart

32

M

P

UVF

UVF

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot near his home in north Belfast less than a week after he was ‘stood down’ by the UVF as a party leader[1]. A year later, after Jackie Mahood was shot, the spokesperson for the Progressive Unionist Party linked the cases, suggesting that ‘criminal elements’ were responsible for both murders and denying a feud between the UVF and LVF[2].

Loyalist feud

[2] UVF challenged to deny role in loyalist’s shooting, by Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times, 30 November 1997

07-Dec-96

Peter (P.J.) Judge

41

M

U

Civilian

IRA

Dublin

Republic of Ireland

Major drugs dealer in Dublin shot dead as sat in his car outside of a public house on Finglas Road. Mr Judge is believed to have been killed by the IRA because of his involvement in drugs.[1]

Drugs-related killing

[1] No one has been charged in relation to 15 killings carried out by gangs involved in drugs or other crime since 1998, by Jim Cusack, Irish Times, 13 March 2000

03-Feb-97

Larry McCartan

79

M

C

Civilian

Unknown

Laurencetown

Co Down

An SDLP councillor on the Banbridge District Council. Mr McCartan suffered a heart attack while he and his wife were evacuated during a hoax bomb alert.[1]

[1] Councillor dies during bomb hoax, by Suzanne Breen, Irish Times, 4 February 1997

12-Feb-97

Stephen Restorick

23

M

U

Army

IRA

Bessbrook

Co Armagh

Soldier shot in the back by a sniper while manning a vehicle checkpoint[1].

In March 1999, an IRA sniper team consisting of Michael Caraher, James McCardle, and Martin Mines, and a 41-year-old man were convicted of offences relating to the killing and other serious offences. Mr Caraher, who shot the gun, Mr McCardle, and Mr Mines were each given 20 years for conspiracy to murder and 20 years for arms possession. There was not enough evidence to try any of them for murder. A 58-year-old man was found not guilty of making a shed available to terrorists.[2] Mr Caraher received a total of 105 years for those and other convictions. Mr McCardle was sentenced to additional time for the Docklands bombing. The 41-year-old man was convicted of the murder of Lance Bombadier Restorick and a large number of other IRA crimes and given concurrent sentences totalling 435 years. The four were released after 16 months under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.[3] In October 2000, after he had already been freed, the 41-year-old was cleared of the murder by the Court of Appeal because he was not pro

[4] Man cleared of murder on appeal, Irish Times, 6 October 2000

Bernard McGinn (41 in 1999); Michael Anthony Kearns (58 in 1999)

14-Mar-97

John Slane

44

M

C

Civilian

UDA

West Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot five times in the chest at close range in the kitchen of his home. Loyalist forces revealed that the UDA might be responsible for the killing, but it was a case of mistaken identity. It was believed that the UDA had planned to kill a man with INLA ties who lived in the same area, and the UDA accepted that Mr Slane was completely innocent.[1]

A UDA man in his 20s who was suspected of killing Mr Slane was hiding out in Belfast as of 1998, protected by other loyalists[2]. In February 1998, Gerry Adams accused the RUC of failing to co-operate on investigations of murders by loyalist groups. One example cited was that they refused to release the forensic history of the weapon used to kill Mr Slane.[3]

[3] Adams contrasts delay in tackling loyalists with speedy moves for Sinn Féin indictment, by Mark Brennock, Irish Times, 18 February 1998

24-Mar-97

Rev. David Templeton

43

M

P

Civilian

UVF

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Presbyterian minister who died of a heart attack six weeks after a punishment beating at his home on 7 February 1997. It was alleged that Rev. Templeton was a homosexual because he was caught with a gay pornographic video by customs officials at Aldergrove airport. The UVF was blamed for the attack, which was committed by three men wearing balaclavas and wielding baseball bats with spikes driven through them.[1]

[1] UVF blamed for attack which killed minister, Irish News, 13 November 1997

08-May-97

Robert Hamill

25

M

C

Civilian

Loyalists

Portadown

Co Armagh

Died 11 days after he was assaulted by loyalist mob of about 30 in Portadown while four RUC officers in a nearby Land Rover failed to intervene. Mr Hamill was knocked unconscious almost immediately, and never regained consciousness.[1] Hon. Peter Cory, a Canadian judge, is examining this case, along with five others, to determine if an independent inquiry is warranted[2]. In June 2000, a Coroner decided not to hold an inquest because of concern for the safety of witnesses. The following day, the Taoiseach called for an independent judicial inquiry into the killing.[3] In the internal investigation, the officer suspected of providing advice to the killer was suspended and then released from service, two officers were disciplined internally, and two other high-ranking officers were believed to be part of the investigation[4].

Six men were initially charged with the killing, but only one man, Marc Hobson (22), stood trial. He was acquitted of murder in March 1999 because the judge felt it was impossible to be satisfied of his guilt, but was convicted and jailed for committing an affray.[5] He served only 6 weeks in jail[6]. In April 2001, the new Police Ombudsman ordered the arrest of seven people, but they were all released the following day[7]. Evidence has emerged that an RUC officer gave one of the killers advice on how to dispose of evidence in a telephone call shortly following the murder. James and Andrea McKee pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by falsely claiming to have made the call to protect the officer. They were sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment and 6 months suspended sentence, respectively.[8] In 2003, the DPP decided to prosecute the officer, his wife, and a 52-year-old man for perverting the course of justice by giving false information relating to the call.[9]

[9] Former RUC man among three on Hamill charges, by Sharon O’Neill, Irish News, 4 July 2003

Robert Atkinson (49), Eleanor Atkinson (49), Kenneth Hanvey (52)

09-May-97

Darren Bradshaw

24

M

P

RUC

INLA

Belfast city centre

Co Antrim

Off-duty RUC officer who was shot several times at close range by two gunmen in a crowded gay bar. INLA admitted the murder two days later.[1]

[1] INLA claims gay bar killing, Irish Times, 11 May 1997

12 May 97

Sean Brown

61

M

C

Civilian

LVF

Randalstown

Co Antrim

GAA Manager shot by the LVF early in the morning on the day in which Darren Bradshaw was buried. Brown was abducted from Bellaghy, where he was locking up the GAA club after a meeting, and taken 10 miles to Co Antrim, where Bradshaw was buried. Police blamed the LVF for the killing.[1] The murder weapon used was the same gun used to kill John McColgan in January 1998[2]. The Irish News reported that Mark Fulton was implicated in the killing[3].

[3] Fulton linked to 12 sectarian killings, by Sharon O’Neill, Irish News, 11 June 2002

01-Jun-97

Gregory Taylor

41

M

P

RUC

Loyalists

Ballymoney

Co Antrim

Off-duty RUC man who left a bar at 1:15 a.m., then was pursued by a group of 12-15 men and kicked to death. The mob was supposedly Loyalists angry at the RUC for re-routing an Apprentice Boys parade through nearby Dunloy two weeks earlier.[1]

Eight men were accused of the murder. Two men, Leslie Henry (31) and Alistair Stevenson (31), were convicted of the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Two other men, Shane Brown (25) and Trevor MacLaughlin (25), admitted manslaughter and were sentenced to four years in prison.[2] Four men were acquitted of murder; two of them were also cleared of causing an affray, while two, Jason Wilmont (20) and Daniel Stewart (33) were granted bail after pleading guilty to causing an affray[3]. The two men convicted of murder, who lost the appeal of their convictions in 1999, were released in 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.[4]

[4] Loyalist prisoners, by Eithne Donnellan, Irish Times, 29 July 2000

Mark McIntyre and Samuel Coulter were acquitted of murder and causing an affray

04-Jun-97

John Morris

26

M

C

INLA

An Garda Síochána

Dublin

Republic of Ireland

Armed robber, member of INLA, who died when shot by gardai. He was shot in the head and chest, holding a cocked handgun that was not loaded.[1] Three men were later jailed for the robbery in which Morris was killed[2].

Gardai were required to testify at the inquest, but were granted anonymity in September 1998 by the Dublin City Coroner. This ruling was overturned in October 1999 by the High Court, which ruled that coroners do not have the power to make this decision. The Supreme Court then upheld the coroner’s decision in July 2000, ruling that gardai can give evidence behind screens.[3] The inquest was begun on 27 June 2001, but Mr Morris’s parents withdrew because they claimed documents had been withheld from them. The jury returned a finding on 28 June 2001 that Mr Morris was fatally injured by a single bullet wound to the head and died the next day.[4]

[4] Gardai say they shot gunman for aiming at them, by Judith Crosbie, Irish Times, 29 June 2001

11-Jun-97

Robert (Bobby) ‘Basher’ Bates

48

M

P

UVF

UDA

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Mr Bates, a notorious member of the Shankill Butchers who was released from prison eight months earlier as a born again Christian, was shot at his workplace, the Ex-Prisoners Interpretive Centre, presumably in a revenge killing that was part of the UDA/UVF feud[1]. Mr Bates was reportedly killed in revenge for the murder of a Shankill road UDA man, James Moorhead, in 1977[2]. The person suspected of killing Mr Bates joined the LVF in late 1997 or early 1998[3]. The UVF attempted to kill the suspected murderer in a June 1999 gun attack[4].

Loyalist feud

[4] UVF ‘probably guilty’ of gun attack, by Paul McKillion, Irish News, 16 June 1999

16-Jun-97

Roland John Graham

34

M

P

RUC

IRA

Lurgan

Co Armagh

One of two RUC officers shot in the head at close range from behind while on the beat. The killing was claimed by the north Armagh brigade of the IRA.[1]

A 29-year-old man was charged with the killings nine days later, but was released on 3 October 1997 after the case collapsed amid controversy. The same man had previously served three and a half years of a life sentence for the 1993 murder of an off-duty officer, John Lyness, before being freed on appeal.[2] A 2002 newspaper story alleged that the killer is believed to be a former IRA operative who defected to the Real IRA sometime in 2002[3].

[3] RIRA threat 'at highest since Omagh', by Liam Clarke, Sunday Times, 4 August 2002

Republican Colin Duffy (29 in 1998)

16-Jun-97

David Johnston

30

M

P

RUC

IRA

Lurgan

Co Armagh

RUC officer killed alongside Roland John Graham while on patrol[1]. (see above)

(see above)

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3564

07-Jul-97

Brian Morton

28

M

P

UDA

Self inflicted

South Belfast

Co Antrim

UDA member killed near his home while handling a pipe-bomb that prematurely exploded[1].

[1] UDA bomb accident victim is buried, Irish News, 12 July 1997

15-Jul-97

Bernadette Martin

18

F

C

Civilian

LVF

Aghalee

Co Antrim

Catholic woman shot dead by a man in a balaclava as she slept at her Protestant boyfriend’s house[1].

Trevor McKeown (39) was convicted of the murder in 1999. He appealed the conviction for the murder and for possession of the murder weapon, but lost the appeal. The murder weapon was allegedly also used in the murder of taxi driver Michael McGoldrick.[2]

[2] Loyalist killer loses appeals, Belfast Telegraph, 20 September 2001

24-Jul-97

James Morgan

16

M

C

Civilian

LVF

Castlewellan

Co Down

Abducted, beaten to death with a hammer, burned, and found three days later in a water-filled pit on a farm. The pit contained animal carcasses, and it was revealed that a mechanical digger was used to pile more carcasses on top of his mutilated body.[1]

Norman James Coopey (27) was convicted of murdering James Morgan in January 1999. In March 1999, he applied for early release under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.[2] He was released from prison on 28 July 2000 after 18 months in prison[3].

[3] Prisoner releases: Some smiled, others covered their heads, by John Mullin, Guardian, 29 July 2000

01-Aug-97

Stuart Hunter

24

M

P

Civilian

Loyalists

Larne

Co Antrim

Bludgeoned to death with an axe yards from his home, supposedly because he had reported an assault to the police three months earlier[1].

Loyalist feud?

David Joseph Campbell (21) and John Maloney (20) pleaded guilty to manslaughter in February 1999. They were jailed for five years and given one year probation on their release. The Belfast Crown Court said that the men were under the influence of a third man, whose name could not be released for legal reasons, who actually carried out the act. He was originally charged with the murder, but was released for lack of evidence.[2]

[2] Judge jails men who helped ‘evil killer’, Irish News, 25 March 1999

26-Sep-97

Brian O'Rawe

26

M

P

Civilian

Loyalists

Newtownards

Co Down

Mr O’Rawe’s body was found in the undergrowth of a Newtownards nature reserve, six weeks after he disappeared from his home[1]. The Deputy Coroner who presided over his inquest concluded it was not possible to determine the cause of death because his body was so badly decomposed. A 38-year-old man who confessed to the murder during informal conversations with the police said he attacked Mr O’Rawe, threw a hatchet at his back as he tried to run away, then strangled him with shoelaces before dumping his body in the nature reserve.[2]

A 38-year-old man was charged with the murders of Mr O’Rawe, William Elliott, Mark Sweeney, and William Paul, as well as conspiracy to murder and wound, possessing guns, robbery, theft and arson. He had made admissions during secretly recorded conversations with police about the murders, and confessed to some of the murders on being confronted with the taped admission. In October 2000, he was freed by Belfast Crown Court Lord Justice McCollum, who ruled that he would probably not get a fair trial because of inappropriate tactics used by the police in obtaining a confession.[3]

[3] Murder accused freed despite confession, by Anne McClean, Irish News, 2 October 2000

Thomas Maginnis (38 in 2000)

25-Oct-97

Glenn Greer

28

M

P

Former UDA

UDA

Bangor

Co Down

Killed by booby-trap bomb attached to his car which exploded while he was driving along Drumhirk Drive. The bomb contained Powergel, which the UDA had recently acquired. Loyalist Frankie Curry later claimed he had committed the murder.[1]

Loyalist feud

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3568

08-Nov-97

Robert Kerr

54

M

P

Former UDA

LVF?

Newry

Co Down

Blown up by explosion on the Lorna Doon, a 36ft boat sitting on dry land in Newry. The death was reported as being an accident, but his family believes he was murdered.[137]

A 48-year-old man pleaded not guilty to conspiring with Mr Kerr to blow up the boat. At the trial, Mr Kerr’s wife said that Mr Kerr was living in fear of the LVF, and that they had been attacked and their home was burned down in the months leading to his death.[138]

[2] Loyalist killed in blast ‘feared’ LVF, Irish News, 12 October 2000

James Alexander Gribben (48 in 2000)

09-Nov-97

Raymond McCord

22

M

P

Civilian

UVF

Newtownabbey

Co Antrim

Beaten to death and found in Ballyduff quarry. His father has a long history of confrontation with loyalist groups, including UDA punishment attacks and threats against his family by the UVF.[1] Mr McCord’s father claims that his son was killed on the orders of a senior UVF man who is a police informer and who has escaped justice repeatedly despite carrying out more than a dozen murders[2]. In 2003, the Ombudsman’s Office had compiled evidence on an RUC informant who has committed a string of murders but not been prosecuted. The Office was stopped from continuing the investigation, however, because of a lack of funding. Mr McCord snr called for a full inquiry into the role of the Special Branch in the matter.[3] In June 2003, a judge allowed Mr McCord snr the opportunity to pursue judicial review aimed at obtaining the material compiled in the Ombudsman’s investigation. Mr McCord expected proceedings to begin in the High Court in September 2003[4]. In July 2003, the alleged informer was reported to have left

[5] Murder bid UVF suspect ‘flees’, by David Gordon, Belfast Telegraph, 21 July 2003

05-Dec-97

James Gerard (Gerry) Devlin

36

M

C

Civilian

LVF

Glengormley

Co Antrim

Shot seven times at close range as he arrived alone to meet his brother at St Enda’s GAA club, which is the most targeted GAA premises in Northern Ireland. According to forensic evidence produced at the inquest, Mr Devlin was shot with the same Browning 9mm pistol later used to kill Philip Allen and Damien Trainor in Poyntzpass, and linked to three punishment shootings in the Portadown area and a gun attack in the home of a prison officer.[1]

[1] ‘Skulking’ LVF killers murdered easy target, Irish News, 15 October 1998

27-Dec-97

Billy Wright

37

M

P

LVF

INLA

Maze Prison

Co Down

Leader of the LVF shot inside Maze Prison, while sitting in a prison van, by INLA prisoners housed on the same H block. The carefully planned attack was led by Christopher ‘Crip’ McWilliams, who was serving a life sentence for the murder of a Belfast bar manager in 1991.[1]

Three INLA prisoners, Christopher ‘Crip’ McWilliams (39), John Glennon (32), and John Kennaway (35), were given life sentences for Wright’s murder in October 1998. They pleaded not guilty, but their counsel declined to outline their case. The IRSP and INLA were not party to the Good Friday Agreement, but the IRSP said they thought the three men would qualify for early release.[2] In October 2000, the three men were, in fact, released from jail after having served two years for the murder, as required by the terms of the Agreement[3].

[3] Billy Wright killers freed from jail, by John Mullin, Guardian, 21 October 2000

27-Dec-97

Seamus Dillon

45

M

C

Former IRA

LVF

Dungannon

Co Tyrone

Former republican life prisoner working as a doorman in the Glengannon Hotel. He was shot 12 hours after the INLA killing of LVF leader Billy Wright. He had severed his links to the republican movement after being released from prison in 1994.[1]

Revenge for Billy Wright

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3572

31-Dec-97

Edmund (Eddie) Treanor

31

M

C

Civilian

Loyalists

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Killed when two men sprayed the bar of the Clifton Tavern with bullets from an Uzi sub-machine gun, wounding 4 others as well. The LVF claimed the murder, but the RUC suspected UFF involvement as a known UFF member was seen in the getaway car.[1]

Revenge for Billy Wright?

[1] Murder victim’s family pleads for an end to the killing, by Niall Blaney, Irish News, 3 January 1998

11-Jan-98

Terry Enright

28

M

C

Civilian

LVF

Belfast city centre

Co Antrim

Community worker shot four times outside a club in Belfast where he was working as a doorman. A car parked outside the club, which served both sides of the community, and one gunman pointed a gun at the door while the other got out and fired over the top of the car. The LVF claimed the killing, saying it was in revenge for the killing of Billy Wright.[1]

Revenge for Billy Wright

A senior LVF paramilitary who was killed in 2002 was reportedly questioned about the murder but was never charged[2].

[2] Drug feud motive suspected in shooting of loyalist paramilitary, by Rosie Cowan, Guardian, 14 September 2002

Stephen Warnock, killed in September 2002

18-Jan-98

Fergal ‘Rick’ McCusker

28

M

C

Civilian

LVF

Maghera

Co Derry

Abducted and shot at close range as he walked home from a night out. His body dumped outside youth club in Maghera. The LVF claimed the killing as revenge for Wright.[1]

Revenge for Billy Wright

As of January 1999, no one had been charged with the murder[2].

[2] LVF victim’s American fiancée calls for justice, by Seamus McKinney, Irish News, 19 January 1999

19-Jan-98

Jim Guiney

38

M

P

UDA

INLA

Dunmurry

Co Antrim

Senior loyalist shot several times in his Dunmurry shop. The killing was supposedly timed to correspond with the arrival of Sinn Féin leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness at Downing Street for a meeting about Tony Blair’s blueprint for a political settlement to the conflict.[1]

[1] Tit-for-tat fear grips Ulster, by John Mullin, Guardian, 20 January 1998

19-Jan-98

Larry Brennan

52

M

C

Civilian

Loyalists

South Belfast

Co Antrim

Catholic taxi-driver shot four times in the chest by single loyalist gunman as he sat in his car on Ormeau Road in Belfast shortly before 7.30pm. Speculation was that he was either killed by the LVF in reprisal for the death of Billy Wright or by the UDA in retaliation for the killing of UDA member Jim Guiney.[1]

Revenge for Billy Wright?

A 26-year-old Belfast man was charged with the murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life on 11 March 1998[2].

[2] Man charged on taxi-driver death, Irish Times, 12 March 1998

Harold Porter

21-Jan-98

Benedict Hughes

55

M

C

Civilian

Loyalists

South Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot by a single loyalist gunman as he left work. Witnesses heard five shots and found Mr Hughes slumped into the car. That same night, two other Catholics were wounded in shootings.[1]

[1] One dead, two hurt in night of carnage, by Peter McVerry, Irish Times, 22 January 1998

23-Jan-98

Liam Conway

39

M

C

Civilian

LVF

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Catholic shot twice in the head by a single loyalist gunman as he sat in a mechanical digger as part of a team laying gas pipes on Protestant estate. No group admitted responsibility for the murder, but it was believed to have been carried out by loyalists.[1] Though the murder was never claimed, it was later attributed to the LVF[2].

Revenge for Billy Wright?

12 people have been arrested in connection with the murder but released due to lack of evidence[3].

[3] Police appeal over getaway car, Irish News, 25 June 1999

24-Jan-98

John McColgan

33

M

C

Civilian

LVF

West Belfast

Co Antrim

Catholic taxi-driver shot and found dead at the side of the road at Hannahstown Hill. No group claimed responsibility but the LVF was thought to have been behind the attack.[1] Another taxi driver was shot in the head a few days later, but survived the attack[2]. The gun used to kill McColgan was the same weapon used in the murder of Sean Brown in May 1997[3].

Revenge for Billy Wright?

[3] Gun victim’s wife lodges complaint against RUC, by Martin Anderson, Irish News, 27 March 1999

09-Feb-98

Brendan ‘Bap’ Campbell

30

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

South Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot near a south Belfast restaurant as he made his way to his car. He was described by police sources as a major drug dealer, and the shooting was thought to be drugs-related.[1] Campbell had been targeted by DAAD previously. DAAD did not claim responsibility for the shooting, and an unidentified source informed the Irish News that he was killed because he put £15,000 on the head of a fellow drugs dealer.[2]

Drugs-related killing

[2] Campbell ‘shot by fellow dealer’, by Liz Trainor, Irish News, 12 February 1998

10-Feb-98

Robert (Bobby) Dougan

38

M

P

UDA

IRA

Dunmurry

Co Antrim

Leading loyalist shot up to seven times outside a textiles factory, supposedly in direct retaliation for the killing of several Catholics, specifically John McColgan. Mr Dougan had survived two previous assassination attempts.[1] Sinn Féin was temporarily suspended from the Stormont talks following the murder[2].

Four men from west Belfast, ages 26, 25, 25, and 23[3], were charged in connection with the murder, but were released for lack of evidence[4].

[4] Coroner hears victim was loyalist, by Liz Trainor, Irish News, 5 June 1999

Samuel Baker, Sean Valente, William Groves, and Ronan Kennedy (26, 25, 25, and 23 in 1998) [4]

17-Feb-98

Kevin Conway

30

M

C

Civilian

IRA?

Aghalee

Co Antrim

Mr Conway's body was found in disused farmhouse with his hands bound behind his back and a gunshot wound to his head. RUC sources laid the blame on republicans, but said the motive was potentially criminal, rather than sectarian.[1] Later reports from the police confirmed that they believed local IRA elements were responsible, but did not know whether there was authorisation from the IRA leadership[2]. Potentially a punishment beating?

[2] Unionists call for fresh SF expulsion, by William Graham, Irish News, 13 March 1998

03-Mar-98

Damian Trainor

25

M

C

Civilian

LVF

Poyntzpass

Co Armagh

"LVF killers loses legal bid to get out of jail"  An application by Stephen McClean for a judicial review of a decision by the sentence review commissioners was dismissed in the high court [3].

Stephen McClean (31) and Noel McCready (34) were jailed for life in February 2000 for the murders. They were due to be released in July 2000 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, but lost their licences after being charged with attempted murder while out on parole. In June 2001, the pair lost high court appeals against their convictions.[2]

[2] Relatives delighted at ruling on killers, by Simon Doyle, Irish News, 29 June 2001

[3] Irish News, 16 May 2003

03-Mar-98

Philip Allen

34

M

P

Civilian

LVF

Poyntzpass

Co Armagh

Shot by a hail of bullets in a bar while having a drink with lifelong Catholic friend Damian Trainor[1]. (see above)

(see above)

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3585

15-Mar-98

David Oliver Keys

26

M

P

LVF

LVF

Maze Prison

Co Down

LVF man found strangled to death in his cell in the LVF wing of Maze prison. He was tortured and assaulted before being killed, and his body was hung from the window frame and wrists slit supposedly to feign suicide. He had been accused and was awaiting trial for the murders of Trainor and Allen.[1] After being arrested in the Poyntzpass killings, Mr Keys had taken police to a spot where clothes and weapons were discovered, so he was potentially murdered as an informer[2].

Two prisoners in the LVF wing in March 1998, ages 23 and 36, were tried for the murder, but the case collapsed when the key witness, former Maze prisoner David Patterson, refused to return to the witness box. The judge also cleared another prisoner who had pleaded not guilty to a charge of offering Mr Patterson £5,000 to withdraw his testimony.[3]

[3] Protected witness ‘still waiting for new identity’, Irish News, 20 January 2001

Robin King and Ralph Phillips (23 and 36 in 2000), John Alexander Ferguson

27-Mar-98

Cyril Stewart

52

M

P

Former RUC

INLA

Armagh

Co Armagh

Retired part-time RUC reservist shot seven times by two gunmen outside a supermarket in Armagh in front of his wife[1].

In July 1999, Barry Paul Morgan (24) was convicted of killing Mr Stewart. A 35-year-old man was acquitted of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to collect information.[2] In 1999, Barry Dinsmore (33) pled guilty to possession of weapons, including the gun used to kill Mr Stewart, membership in the INLA, and communicating information about two UDR soldiers, and was jailed for five years[3]. In February 2001, Neil Sheridan (25) was convicted of killing Mr Stewart and was sentenced to life in prison[4].

[4] Man gets life for murder, Irish Times, 27 February 2001

Anthony James McElkenny (35 in 1999)

07-Apr-98

Trevor Deeney

34

M

P

Former UVF

INLA

Derry

Co Derry

Derry loyalist shot up to six times outside his home as he was returning from work as a passenger in his wife’s car. INLA claimed responsibility for the murder, saying he was member of LVF. This was denied by his family and LVF, and LVF threatened reprisals.[1]

[1] Appeal as murder of loyalist is re-enacted, by Seamus McKinney, Irish News, 14 April 1998

17 Apr 98

Mark McNeill

32

M

C

Former INLA

INLA

West Belfast

Co Antrim

Taxi driver shot a number of times in the legs and chest while getting out of his car outside a taxi depot. Family members said he was a former INLA member killed because of an internal feud, but INLA denied responsibility.[1]

[1] Cabbie killed over grudge says family, by Liz Trainor, Irish News, 20 April 1998

21-Apr-98

Adrian Lamph

29

M

C

Civilian

LVF

Portadown

Co Armagh

Council worker shot in the head and back at close range at a Craigavon borough council depot in Portadown by a gunman on a bicycle[1].

A 52-year-old woman was charged with the murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life in 2001. She was freed on bail in June 2002 because of the length of time she had been in custody.[2] She has also been charged with a variety of other crimes, including possessing guns and explosives, membership of the LVF, and conspiring to cause explosions in the Irish Republic[3]. Ronald Wesley Allen (47), whose home was used in the murder, pleaded guilty to making property available to terrorists in May 1999. He received a two year term suspended for three years.[4]

[4] Man freed over use of house in murder, Irish News, 15 May 1999

Muriel Gibson (52 in 2002)

25-Apr-98

Ciaran Heffron

22

M

C

Civilian

LVF

Crumlin

Co Antrim

Shot six times in the head while walking home after a night at the pub with friends. His body was found by a taxi driver in front of the local railway station.[1] No one claimed responsibility for the killing, but an investigating officer told the inquest that he was confident it was the work of the LVF because “it had familiar hallmarks to what had been LVF murders.” The murder weapon had been used in six other killings.[2]

Four men were arrested and questioned about the killing, two within hours of the attack and two within the next few days[3]. They were all released without charge, and at the time of the inquest in March 2000, no one had been charged in the murder[4].

[4] LVF killed Catholic because it ‘was time’, by Alan Erwin, Irish News, 7 March 2000

26-Apr-98

Thomas ‘Tucker’ Lockard

34

M

U

Civilian

CIRA?

near Kilcurry, Co Louth

Republic of Ireland

Body was found badly beaten, stabbed through the heart, and dumped in a ditch close to the Louth/south Armagh border. Gardai initially said the killing bore “the hallmarks of a paramilitary-style killing” and speculation linked the murder to the Continuity IRA.[1] His death has also been linked to DAAD[2]. Other speculation was that the killing was part of an internal drugs-gang feud or that Mr Lockard was killed by a hired paramilitary hitman. Mr Lockard was linked to the cross-border drugs trade and had been jailed in 1996 as part of an ecstasy smuggling ring.[3] One source also said he was a Garda informer who was discovered by a Border drug gang[4].

Drugs-related killing?

[4] Shot loyalist likely victim of drugs feud, by Jim Cusack, Irish Times, 4 July 1998

01-May-98

Rónán MacLochlainn

28

M

C

RIRA

An Garda Síochána

Ashford, Co Wicklow

Republic of Ireland

Shot during Real IRA robbery of a security van by a GS emergency response unit. The first GS statement said there had been an exchange of gunfire, but it later changed the statement to say officers opened fire when the victim pointed a loaded gun at them. The other five men of the six-man armed gang were jailed for possession of weapons with intent to commit a robbery and assault with intent to rob.[1] Facts behind the killing are in dispute, and this has been further aggravated by the discrepancies in the police reports. Family members are pushing for an independent inquiry to determine whether law enforcement officials used excessive force in the operation.[2]

[2] Report to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Concerning the Death of Rónán MacLochlainn, by British Irish RIGHTS WATCH, June 1998

01-Jun-98

Charles McConnell-Strain

28

M

P

None

UDA

Carrickfergus

Co. Antrim

Charles Strain was found dead two days after a savage punishment beating. Five men were questioned by police but no-one was charged.[1]

[1] Inquest into death of punishment victim, by Press Association, UTV News, 2 October 2003

03-Jul-98

William Henry ‘Wassy’ Paul

49

M

P

Former UVF

UVF

Bangor

Co Down

Gunned down outside his home as he returned from his daily trip to the newsagents for the morning papers. Mr Paul had left the Shankill Road three years before his murder after allegations that he was involved in dealing drugs. Police originally ruled out a sectarian motive in the murder, but the motive and details around the killing are confusing and controversial. Well-known loyalist Frankie Curry claimed he murdered Mr Paul over a personal feud, but speculation remained that it was a UVF killing.[1] However, Thomas Maginnis confessed to the murder during informal ‘conversations’ with police. In September 2002, the Police Ombudsman’s office admitted it was investigating allegations that police had been given warning the night before the murder. Mr Paul’s family claims that police were told the names of the two gunmen and the registration of their car, and seized clothing and a spent bullet casing within 24 hours of the shooting, but still failed to secure a conviction.[2]

A 38-year-old man was charged with the murders of Mr Paul, William Elliott, Brian O’Rawe, and Mark Sweeney, as well as conspiracy to murder and wound, possessing guns, robbery, theft and arson. He had made admissions during secretly recorded conversations with police about the murders, and confessed to some of the murders on being confronted with the taped admission. In October 2000, however, he was freed by Belfast Crown Court Lord Justice McCollum, who ruled that he would probably not get a fair trial because of inappropriate tactics used by the police in obtaining a confession.[3] A 54-year-old was charged in 1998 with withholding information about a car alleged to have been used in the murder[4].

[4] Murder ‘by UVF’ alleges counsel, Irish News, 3 December 1998

Thomas Maginnis, John James McCormick (54 in 1998)

12-Jul-98

Richard Quinn

11

M

C

Civilian

UVF

Ballymoney

Co Antrim

Eldest of three children killed in loyalist petrol bomb arson attack on their house during a week of heightened tension caused by Drumcree. The boys, their mother and brother had moved into the house less than a week before the attack. Though firefighters arrived within seven minutes of the alarm being raised, the boys were probably already dead when they arrived.[1] Five Catholic families who lived on the same predominantly Protestant estate supposedly received death threats from the UVF in the days leading up to the attack[2]. The boys’ uncle, Colum Quinn, allegedly had a feud with members of the UVF[3].

Garfield Gilmour (25 in 2000) was originally convicted of murder in the attack, but was cleared on appeal in June 2000. The judges substituted a conviction of manslaughter because Mr Gilmour drove other men to the scene, even though he had no knowledge of the intended attack until the last minute. He was denied leave to appeal to the House of Lords, but the court of appeal certified that a point of law of general public importance was raised in the case.[4] Mr Gilmour admitted driving three UVF men to the home[5].

[5] Driver knew of UVF’s evil intent, Irish News, 30 October 1999

The three UVF men named by Mr Gilmour are Johnny McKay, Raymond Parke, and Ivan Parke.

12-Jul-98

Mark Quinn

10

M

C

Civilian

UVF

Ballymoney

Co Antrim

(see above)

(see above)

12-Jul-98

Jason Quinn

9

M

C

Civilian

UVF

Ballymoney

Co Antrim

(see above)

(see above)

18-Jul-98

Andrew Kearney

33

M

C

Civilian

IRA

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Bled to death after being shot in both legs during a punishment attack outside his flat. Mr Kearney was left to bleed to death in the lift or stairwell. Attackers ripped out the telephone line and jammed the lift, preventing Mr Kearney’s girlfriend from immediately getting help.[1] Mr Kearney’s mother said those responsible were not Sinn Féin or the IRA, but rogue elements within the republican movement who attacked Mr Kearney because of a personal feud with a north Belfast republican[2]. Mr Kearney had a reputation for getting into fights. Two weeks prior to the attack, he had a fight with an ex-IRA man, who was reported as being a previous IRA commander in Ardoyne who had been ‘stood down’ a year earlier.[3]

Two men were arrested on 27 July 1998[4], but as of 7 January 1999, no one had been charged with the killing[5].

[5] Mother pledges to ‘hound’ son’s killers, by Liz Trainor, Irish News, 7 January 1999

15-Aug-98

James Barker

12

M

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

Killed in 500 lb car bomb explosion at 3:10 p.m. on Market Street. A warning was given at 2:30 p.m., but named a different location. 28 people were immediately killed in the blast, one died of injuries three weeks later, and 200 people were wounded.[1]

Omagh bombing

Although more than 80 people have been arrested in relation to the bombing, only one person has been convicted. Colm Murphy was sentenced in January 2001 to fourteen years for conspiracy to cause an explosion. The families of the victims have also begun a £10 million civil case against five suspects.[2] In December 2001, a report was released by the Police Ombudsman’s office that reviewed the investigation of the bombing. The report suggested that the RUC failed to act on warnings before the bombing and criticized the investigation of the incident and the failure to bring the perpetrators to justice. This resulted in a major dispute between the former PSNI Chief Constable and the Ombudsman.[3] In April 2003, the Deputy Chief Constable of the Merseyside force, who was reviewing the investigation at the request of the Policing Board, claimed the issues highlighted by the Ombudsman’s report were being addressed[4].

[4] Omagh bombers will be caught, says report, by Dan Keenan, Irish Times, 4 April 2003

15-Aug-98

Fernando Blasco Baselga

12

M

U

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Geraldine Breslin

43

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Deborah Anne Cartwright

20

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Gareth Conway

18

M

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Breda Devine (age 20 months)

###

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Oran Doherty

8

M

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Aidan Gallagher

21

M

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Esther Gibson

36

F

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Mary Grimes

66

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Olive Hawkes

60

F

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Julia Hughes

21

F

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Brenda Logue

17

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Ann McCombe

48

F

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Brian McCrory

54

M

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Samantha McFarland

17

F

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Sean McLaughlin

12

M

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Jolene Marlow

17

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Avril Monaghan – pregnant with twins

30

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Maura Monaghan (age 18 months)

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Alan Radford

16

M

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Rocio Abad Ramos

23

F

U

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Elizabeth Rush

57

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Veda Short

56

F

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Philomena Skelton

49

F

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Bryan White

27

M

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Frederick White

60

M

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

15-Aug-98

Lorraine Wilson

15

F

P

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

(see above)

Omagh bombing

05-Sep-98

Sean McGrath

61

M

C

Civilian

RIRA

Omagh

Co Tyrone

Died of injuries from Omagh bombing[1].

Omagh bombing

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3627

25-Sep-98

Billy Giles

42

M

P

UVF

Self inflicted

East Belfast

Co Antrim

Hung himself after his release from prison, having served 15 years for UVF killing of Catholic workmate and friend Michael Fay[1].

[1] Killer’s remorse at Catholic death, by Brendan Anderson, Irish News, 27 February 1999

06-Oct-98

Frank O’Reilly

30

M

C

RUC

LVF

Portadown

Co Armagh

An RUC constable who died a month after being critically injured in a loyalist bomb blast attack during the Drumcree protest in Portadown on 5 September 1998. The Red Hand Defenders claimed responsibility for the killing.[1]

Two men were arrested and a number of weapons were seized in an investigation linked to the murder of Mr O’Reilly[2]. In February 1999, the police revealed that the prime suspect in the case, who they had twice questioned and released without charge, had fled the North and was hiding in the Republic[3].

[3] Drumcree murder suspect hiding in republic, by Vincent Kearney, Irish Times, 28 February 1999

31-Oct-98

Brian Service

35

M

C

Civilian

LVF

North Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot five times in the head and back in the Alliance Avenue area on the fringes of Ardoyne in North Belfast as he walked home from visiting his brother. The dissident group Red Hand Defenders claimed responsibility for the shooting and warned there would be more, saying they were carrying out the attacks to register their opposition to the Good Friday Agreement.[1] An Irish Times reporter pins the killing on one of two LVF brothers from Ballysillan[2].

[2] Haemorrhage from within, by Jim Cusack, Irish Times, 16 December 2000

21-Nov-98

Gerard Moran

35

M

U

Civilian

IRA

Dublin

Republic of Ireland

Petty criminal and small-time drug dealer shot by a lone gunman while working as a take-away delivery man[1]. Authorities are pinning responsibility on the IRA because Mr Moran was involved in a dispute with local IRA members[2].

[2] Drug dealers ‘fair game’ to Provos, by Valerie Robinson, Irish News, 17 July 2000

27-Jan-99

Eamonn Collins

45

M

C

Former IRA

IRA

Newry

Co Down

Battered to death and stabbed repeatedly close to his home in Newry. He had been a member of the IRA, but later became a vocal critic. He at one time agreed to testify against former associates, but then refused to testify and disowned his prior statements.[1] Blood from a person other than Mr Collins was found on the scene, and police were using DNA testing to identify that person, believed to be a well-known IRA hitman who was living in the Republic as of April 2001[2]. Mr Collins’s widow said she believed ‘thuggish republican elements’, not the Armagh IRA, were responsible for his death[3].

On 13 April 1999, four men were arrested and six cars were removed for examination in dawn swoops on homes in south Armagh. The men were thought to be held in connection with the investigation into Mr Collins’s murder.[4]

[4] SF angered as four held in Collins probe, by Aeneas Bonner, Irish News, 14 April 1999

15-Mar-99

Rosemary Nelson

40

F

C

Civilian

LVF

Lurgan

Co Armagh

Solicitor blown up in loyalist booby-trap bomb placed beneath her car. The device exploded as she was driving away from her home in Lurgan. Before her death, Ms Nelson had complained about death threats against her by members of the security forces. Family members and NGOs have alleged that there may have been collusion in her death. The Red Hand Defenders claimed responsibility for the killing.[1] Her case is one of the six being investigated by Hon. Peter Cory, a Canadian judge.

[1] Lost Lives, no. 3632

17-Mar-99

Frankie Curry

46

M

P

RHC

UVF

West Belfast

Co Antrim

Shot at least six times, including three times in the head while he was on the ground, as he walked through a park to visit his mother. The killing was part of an LVF/UVF feud. The RUC had warned him twice in the previous year of death threats.[1] Mr Curry appeared to be affiliated with a range of loyalist paramilitary organisations throughout the years, including the Red Hand Commando, the UDA, and possibly the UVF, the LVF, and the Red Hand Defenders[2].

Loyalist feud

As of December 1999, four men had been arrested in connection with the murder, but none of them had been charged[3].

[3] Loyalist killer warned by RUC, by Aeneas Bonner, Irish News, 2 December 1999

09-May-99

Brendan ‘Speedy’ Fegan

24

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD?

Newry

Co Down

Shot repeatedly in the head by two masked gunmen in a Newry bar. Although his last words were reportedly, “It’s the Provies, it’s the Provies,” it is speculated that it was a drugs-related killing. Mr Fegan was a well-known drugs dealer whose life had been threatened before.[1] Newspapers report he was killed by the IRA/DAAD, though they vigorously deny the allegations[2]. One source alleged that Mr Fegan was suspected of being a police informer in the Republic and in Northern Ireland[3].

Drugs-related killing?

[3] Flanagan says IRA suspected of killing dealer, by Jim Cusack, Irish Times, 14 June 2000

05-Jun-99

Elizabeth O’Neill

59

F

P

Civilian

LVF

Portadown

Co Armagh

Protestant married to a Catholic, living on Protestant estate in Portadown. A brick was thrown through a window into her living room, followed by a pipe bomb; the bomb exploded as she attempted to remove it.[1]

Philip Joseph Blaney (37), a former Special Branch agent, was found guilty of manslaughter, causing an explosion, possession of a pipe bomb, and possession of a firearm in January 2003. At his trial, Mr Blaney was said to be part of a four-man team of loyalists that had attacked two houses in the estate because of mixed relationships.[2] Mr Blaney did not throw the bomb at Mrs O’Neill’s house, as he was in charge of throwing the brick into the other house, so he was not charged with murder[3]. In July 2003, a 34-year-old man was awaiting trial on a total of 64 charges, including aiding and abetting the murder of Mrs O’Neill, a number of attempted murders, possession of guns and explosives, supplying Class A and B drugs, and belonging to and directing the activities of the LVF[4].

[4] Bail situation is astonishing, Irish News, 23 July 2003

William James Fulton (34 in 2003)

13-Jun-99

Paul ‘Bull’ Downey

37

M

C

Civilian

IRA / DAAD?

Belleeks

Co Armagh

Shot in the head after being abducted from the car park of a hotel. Mr Downey’s body, stripped to his underwear, was discovered by a farmer at a south Armagh roadside. Mr Downey was a known drugs dealer, and the killing was believed to be drugs related.[1]

Drugs-related killing

[1] Unionists pin drug dealer’s murder on IRA, by John Manley, Irish News, 15 June 1999

29-Jul-99

Charles Bennett

22

M

C

IRA?

IRA

West Belfast

Co Antrim

Disappeared 25 July 1999 and was found four days later on waste ground near a GAA pitch with his hands tied behind his back, his face covered, and shot in head and neck at close range. Private security sources say they believe the IRA was responsible because Mr Bennett had stolen a weapon from the IRA.[1] Another source said he was killed for allegedly passing information to the RUC[2].

A 45-year-old man was originally charged with the murder, but the murder charge was withdrawn in December 1999[3].

[3] Bennett accused released, Irish News, 23 December 1999

Thomas Allsop (45 in 1999)

06-Oct-99

Patrick Campbell

22

M

C

INLA

Unknown

Walkinstown, Dublin

Republic of Ireland

INLA man beaten and stabbed in a battle between INLA and a Dublin crime gang after users of an industrial estate turned to INLA for protection. Mr Campbell died five days after the attack, probably from the knife wounds to his legs that hit arteries and caused a significant loss of blood.[1]

Daniel Finnegan (20) was charged with the murder, but the prosecution dropped the charge against him in July 2001, after the trial had begun, because it was discovered that he could not have caused the injuries from which Mr Campbell died. Mr Finnegan pleaded guilty to the second charge against him, engaging in a violent disorder.[2] Declan Duffy and Patrick O’Toole (27 and 23 in 2001) pleaded guilty to possession of a shotgun and to falsely imprisoning four men against their will during the confrontation and were given nine years and seven years in jail, respectively[3].

[3] Jail terms for two involved in INLA clash, by Diarmaid MacDermott, Irish News, 16 January 2001

01-Jan-00

Denver Smith

35

M

P

Loyalist?

Loyalists?

Antrim

Co Antrim

PUP member attacked in an open area of grassland on Stiles Estate in Antrim. Mr Smith was found battered to death with severe head wounds.[1] Mr Smith’s wife claimed the murder was carried out by ‘druggies’, denying that he was a member of a loyalist gang involved in a fight with drug dealers[2]. In December 2001, the Irish News reported that Ciaran Cummings was killed in retaliation for the murder of Mr Smith[3].

In October 2002, ten men, facing charges ranging from manslaughter and criminal damages to causing affray and assisting offenders, were sentenced in relation to the murder and an attack on a house in the estate. The men faced charges ranging from manslaughter and criminal damage to causing affray and assisting offenders, and were given jail sentences of up to seven years. Police were still investigating the actual murder in December 2002.[4]

[4] Police in fresh murder appeal, by Brian Campbell, Irish News, 31 December 2002

10-Jan-00

Richard Jameson

46

M

P

UVF

LVF

Portadown

Co Armagh

UVF leader shot in the head and chest by a lone gunman while sitting in his car outside his home in Portadown[1]. Thought to be retaliation for the attack on the Portadown Football Social Club on 27 December 1999, in which 12 people were injured, some of them LVF prisoners on Christmas parole. That attack has been attributed to the UVF as part of the LVF/UVF feud, and it has been said that Mr Jameson ordered the attack.[2]

Loyalist feud

A number of men were arrested within 24 hours of the killing[3]. An Irish Times reporter claimed the killing was committed by a young LVF man from Dungannon[4]. On 28 January 2000, a 37-year-old was charged with possessing the gun used to murder Mr Jameson[5].

[5] Second man charged over Jameson murder, Irish News, 29 January 2000

Robert Samuel Scott (37 in 2000)

19-Feb-00

David McIlwaine

18

M

P

Civilian

UVF

Tandagree

Co Armagh

'Father alleges PSNI cover-up over murder'  Belfast High Court heard a judicial review of the PSNI's refusal to allow Paul McIlwaine, David's father access to police files and witness statements on the case[6].

On the evening of the murder, Brown, Burcombe and Noel Dillon were drinking at Brown’s house in Sinton park when McIlwaine and Robb arrived looking for a party. (7)

Loyalist feud

[5] Family to query murder inquiry, by Sharon O’Neill, Irish News, 15 April 2003

[6] Northern Ireland.co.uk by Stephen Dempster 21 November 2000

(11) Accused said double killing gave him a buzz, court told, Ashleigh McDonald, Belfast Telegraph, 26/11/08

(12) Man accused of murdering teens say co-accused lied, Irish News, 3/2/09

(13) Witness jailed for ‘conspiracy’, BBC News, 27/6/08

(14) HET probes Haddock links to murder, Barry McCaffrey, Irish News, 4/3/09

(15) Moment of relief for victim’s father, Barry McCaffrey, Irish News, 4/3/09

(16) Son turns killer just like father, Ciaran McGuigan, Belfast Telegraph, 5/4/09

(17) Double killer appeals conviction, BBC News, 25/9/09

Steven Revels (19 in 2001)

19-Feb-00

Andrew Robb

19

M

P

LVF?

UVF

Tandagree

Co Armagh

Loyalist feud

26-Feb-00

Joseph Foran

38

M

U

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

Dublin

Republic of Ireland

Heroin dealer shot by a single .38 bullet fired through the open window of his car as he sat with his girlfriend outside his home. The killing was believed to have been committed by a member of the IRA who came in after complaints about the damage Mr Foran and other drug dealers had done in the community.[1]

Drugs-related killing

[1] No one has been charged in relation to 15 killings carried out by gangs involved in drugs or other crime since 1998, by Jim Cusack, Irish Times, 13 March 2000

29-Apr-00

Patrick Neville

31

M

U

Civilian

INLA

Dublin

Republic of Ireland

Found shot in a stairway in a block of flats near his home. His death was possibly in retaliation for the death of INLA member Patrick Campbell in October 1999.[1]

A man who was killed several months later was questioned about Mr Neville’s killing shortly before his own death[2]. In July 2001, Kevin McLaughlin (36) pleaded guilty to collecting information useful to an unlawful organisation (INLA) regarding the movements of Mr Neville between 1 January and 29 April 2000. He was the first person to be jailed under the new post-Omagh legislation, Section 8(1), of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act of 1998, and was sentenced to four years.[3]

[3] Belfast man first jailed under new post-Omagh legislation, Irish News, 7 July 2002

Nicholas O’Hare, killed in August 2000

30-Apr-00

Thomas Byrne

41

M

U

Civilian

IRA / DAAD

Dublin

Republic of Ireland

Minor drug dealer killed as he sat drinking with friends outside a pub by a lone gunman who walked up to him and shot him. Gardai knew that he had an argument with the man in command of the IRA in Dublin over two years before the killing. Byrne had reportedly offered to pay compensation for the wrong inflicted on the commander, but the offer was refused.[1] An IRA man from north inner Dublin was the prime suspect in the killing[2].

Drugs-related killing

[2] Flanagan says IRA suspected of killing dealer, by Jim Cusack, Irish Times, 14 June 2000

26-May-00

Martin ‘Chin’ Taylor

35

M

P

UVF

Loyalists

North Belfast

Co Antrim

UVF volunteer shot by two gunmen while working outside a house in the loyalist Ballysillan area. Mr Taylor’s death was part of the ongoing loyalist feud between the LVF and UVF.[1]

Loyalist feud

[1] Hundreds pay tribute to loyalist feud victim, by Jonathan Turner, Irish News, 1 June 2000

29-May-00

Edmund McCoy

28

M

C

Civilian

IRA

Dunmurry

Co Antrim

Well-known figure in the drugs scene shot in the head and stomach at Motte ‘n’ Bailey Bar, Dunmurry, on 28 May 2000. He died a day later. Mr McCoy was once suspected of shooting Johnny Adair, and had been threatened in the past by the IRA.[1] The IRA was blamed from the beginning, and several weeks later, the RUC continued to suspect the IRA was behind the attack[2].