CONFLICT RELATED DEATHS
2007

Date

Name

Age

Sex

Reli-gion

Affili-ation

Alleged Perpe-trator

Location Town / Area

Location County / Country

Details

Category

Arrests / Prosecutions

Sources

The victim was shot in the back of the head in the early hours of the morning. [1]

Police are searching for a silver Skoda registration PKZ 3760, or anyone who may have seen the vehicle. Police searches of the area have found a shotgun and handgun.  [2]

It’s believed the Continuity IRA may be involved with the killing and that the murder is connected to the murder of Joe Jones. [3]

An INLA source denied responsibility for the murders but alleged that the deaths were a result of an internal feud between the Continuity IRA over stolen weapons used for ‘unauthorised freelance jobs’. [4]

A suspect in the murder escaped arrest by police. The suspect abandoned a car and fled from the area. The police pursued him, and then fired six shots when he refused to halt. [5]

Edward Burns had recently left the CIRA to form his own splinter group, the Irish People’s Liberation Army (IPLA) along with Joe Jones. [8]

According to a media report, two men telephoned Edward Burns and arranged to meet him to demand access to an arms dump that he knew of.  When he refused to give this information the two men shot him. [8]

Witness Damien O’Neill claimed that Gerard Mackin had abducted Burns in Burn’s own taxi. O’Neill says that Mackin ordered Burns to stop the car and get out. Mackin then told Burns to get on the ground where he pleaded with Mackin to spare his life. (10)

O’Neill then said that Mackin then ‘just walked over and shot Eddie in the back of the head’. O’Neill said that he grabbed the gun from Mackin and tried to run away before being tripped up. Mackin then shot O’Neill in the arm and neck before the gun jammed. O’Neill then managed to stagger away to a taxi. (9)

Four people in total have been arrested and are being questioned in relation to the murder of Edward Burns.  [6]

A man and women were arrested following searches of a house in the White Parade area of West Belfast. A  firearm was taken with a number of other items. [7]

The group responsible for the killing, the Continuity IRA, promised not to harm or intimidate a witness (Damien O’Neill) who agreed to testify against one of their members (Gerard Mackin from West Belfast). This was done with the additional protection of the Garda and PSNI. It was claimed that this was agreed after the CIRA were ‘horrified and embarrassed’ by the killing. (9)

Gerard Mackin also faced charges of the attempted murder of Damien O’Neill. (11)

It was also claimed that the CIRA’s army council had wanted to ‘court marshal’ Mackin but instead decided to let the police investigate him. (9)

It was the first time that someone had been tried in a Special Criminal Court in Dublin for a murder committed in Northern Ireland. (10)

[1]Dissident backdrop to killings, BBC News, 13 March 2007.

[2] Car clue sought in murder inquiry, BBC News, 14 March 2007.

[3]Dissident republicans may be linked to murders, Gerry Moriarty, The Irish Times, 13 March 2007.

[4] INLA: We didn’t kill those men, Damien McCarney, Andersontown News, 16 March 2007.

 [5] Police Closing in on suspect in double murder investigation,  Claire McNeilly and Deborah McAleese, Belfast Telegraph, 15 March 2007.

[6] Searches linked to killings yield arrests, Staff Reporter, Irish News, 22 March 2007

[7] Police quiz pair over Belfast murder, Ulster TV, 22 March 2007.

[8] Republican community appalled by gruesome murders, Suzanne Breen, Sunday Tribune, 19 March 2007

(9) Republican terror group kept murder witness safe, John Mooney, Times Online, 30 Nov 2008

(10) Trial makes history, Irish News, 31 Oct 2008

(11) NI man tried for murder in Dublin, BBC News, 30 July 2008

The victim’s body was discovered about 8.00am near Elmsfield Street, North Belfast. [1]

The victim was badly beaten with a spade and received severe head injuries. [2]

He was beaten so severely that police were finding it difficult to identify the man. A priest who gave the man last rites also said it was impossible to recognise him. [3]

It’s believed the Continuity IRA may be involved in the killing, and that the murder is connected to the murder of Edward Burns.  [4]

AN INLA source denied responsibility for the murders but alleged that the deaths were a result of an internal feud between the Continuity IRA over stolen weapons used for ‘unauthorised freelance jobs’. [5]

A suspect in the murder escaped arrest by police. The suspect abandoned a car and fled from the area. The police pursued him, and then fired six shots when he refused to halt. [6]

Joe Jones had recently left the CIRA  to form his own splinter group, the Irish People’s Liberation Army (IPLA) along with Edward Burns. [8]

According to a media report, the two perpetrators went to find Joe Joes after killing Edward Burns for not providing information regarding an arms dump to which he had access. [8]

Joe Jones, who also had information and access to the arms dump, refused to give the perpetrators this information. The perpetrators  then attempted to shoot Joe Jones, however their gun jammed, and so they severely beat him with a spade. The suspects had a spade with them to dig up the weapons from the arms dump. [8]

Four people in total have been arrested and are being questioned in relation to the murder of Joe Jones.  [7]

[1]Dissident republicans may be linked to murders, Gerry Moriarty, The Irish Times,  13 March 2007

[2] INLA: We didn’t kill those men, Damien McCarney, Andersontown News, 16 March 2007.

[3] Two Killings, many questions, Deborah McAleese,  Belfast Telegraph 13 March 2007

[4] Dissident republicans may be linked to murders, Gerry Moriarty, The Irish Times,  13 March 2007

[5] INLA: We didn’t kill those men, Damien McCarney, Andersontown News, 16 March 2007.

[6] Police Closing in on suspect in double murder investigation, Claire McNeilly and Deborah McAleese, Belfast Telegraph, 15  March 2007.

[7] Searches linked to killings yield arrests, Staff Reporter, Irish News, 22 March 2007

[8] Republican community appalled by gruesome murders, Suzanne Breen, Sunday Tribune, 19 March 2007

Brian McGlynn was shot several times by two masked men who broke into his house at 4:00am.  [1] He died from a gunshot wound to the chest. [5]

He was at home with his girlfriend.  She was not injured in the shooting. [1]

The perpetrators escaped in a car, believed to be a green Vauxhall Cavalier – they crossed the Craigavon Bridge and turned into Abercorn Road.  [2]

Brian McGlynn was a doorman at Red Rooms, a nightclub in Derry. [1]

The INLA claimed the murder.  They said that Brian McGlynn has been using the organisation’s name for drug-dealing.  However, some sources continue to suspect the involvement of both PIRA and loyalists. [7]

The allegations of drug-dealing were denied by his father. [8]

Barry McGlynn’s mother said that her son ‘met some bad characters’ and that ‘he was certainly used by older men in an awful way’, in particular encouraging McGlynn to be aggressive towards heavy drug dealers at the nightclub at which he worked. (11) 

CCTV recordings of the vehicles used by the murderers (a purple Vauxhall Corsa and a dark Ford Escort) showed that the killers had taken just 36 seconds to break down the door, rush up a flight of stairs, shoot McGlynn and then return to the cars. (12)

Three men, all from Derry, were arrested in connection with the murder. [3]

Two further men were arrested in connection with the murder. 

The men came from the loyalist Fountain estate – the police were criticised by community leaders for the extensive searches which accompanied the arrests. [6]

All five men were subsequently released without charge. [4] 

In November 2008, two men were arrested in connection with the murder.  One of those arrested is also being questioned about INLA membership. [9]

Two of those arrested in November 2008 were released; a 46-year old man is still being questioned. [10]

[1] Masked gunmen murder doorman lying in his bed, by Bimpe Fatogun and Seamus McKinney, Irish News, 4 June 2007

[2] A professional hit? By Stephen Breen and George Jackson, Belfast Telegraph, 4 June 2007

[3] Trio held in doorman murder probe, BBC News, 4 June 2007

[4] Two more released over gun murder, BBC News, 5 June 2007

[5] Father had to identify dead son by his eyes, by Seamus McKinney, Irish News, 6 June 2007

[6] Police reject criticism of Derry arrests, by Seamus McKinney, Irish News, 7 June 2007

[7] INLA threaten drug-dealers and admit killing doorman, Suzanne Breen, Sunday Tribune, 17 June 2007

[8] Father of murdered man defends son, by Seamus McKinney, Irish News, 19 June 2007

[9] Second arrest in murder inquiry, BBC News, 20 November 2008

[10] Pair released in murder inquiry, BBC News, 20 November 2008

(11) Mother who still cant visit grave awaits information, Belfast Today, 25 Feb 2009

(12) Londonderry man ‘killed in seconds’, Sam McBride, Belfast Today, 25 Feb 2009

Paul Quinn was found  badly beaten at a farmhouse outside Castleblaney.  He died later in hospital in Drogheda. [1] Eight men were believed to be involved in the attack which used iron bars and nail-studded cudgels. [5]

Paul Quinn went to the farmhouse after a telephone call from two of his friends, who were forced to call him and ask him to come to the farm.  On arrival he, and a friend, were taken to an outhouse and beaten with iron bars. [2] Those with him also attended hospital for their injuries. [7]

A statement from Paul Quinn’s family alleged that Provisional IRA members were involved in his death. [2] This allegation was denied by Conor Murphy, the local Sinn Féin MLA [3] and Gerry Adams [4], who claimed the murder was linked to fuel smuggling. [6] Paul Quinn had recently been involved in an altercation with some PIRA members and had been told to leave Northern Ireland. [3]

Both the Garda and the PSNI believed that the murder was a result of a row between Quinn and a republican in the week before his death. The police forces estimated that up to 20 republicans were involved, including the attackers, lookouts and drivers. (13)

The perpetrators were believed to have worn boiler suits and surgical gloves. It is also believed that friends of the killers had cleaned up the shed before leaving, thereby removing forensic evidence. (13)

As yet, there have been no arrests in connection with the murder. [8] Two men, who are alleged to take “the rap” for the murder, have fled to England. [9]

Six men were arrested in a joint operation by the Garda and PSNI. The Garda arrests were men aged 22, 24 and 36 and the PSNI’s arrests were men in their 30’s and 50’s.  Sources said one was a senior IRA figure, while another was a ‘mid-ranking’ member. Sinn Féin has consistently denied that they or the IRA were involved (10)

A further three men were arrested in South Armagh. The police also seized a number of items (11)

Another man was arrested in Northern Ireland. (12) In these series of arrests in July and August 2008, a total of eleven men are arrested in the investigation, but all are released without charge. (14)

[1] IRA ‘is behind our son’s murder’, BBC News, 21 October 2007

[2] Family say IRA beat son to death, by Barry McCaffrey, Irish News, 22 October 07

[3] Provos killed our son, Belfast Telegraph, 22 October 07

[4] McAlister insist IRA role in Quinn killing, RTE, 22 October 2007

[5] Fatal attack ordered on Paul Quinn was ‘ordered by Provisional IRA’, by Suzanne Breen, Sunday Tribune, 28 October 2007

[6] Adams denies IRA involved in murder, Ulster Tv, 22 October 2007

[7] Quinn murder causes south Armagh split, by Cokm Heatley, The Post, 28 October 2007

[8] Still no arrests in murder inquiry, by Suzanne McGonagle, Irish News, 30 October 2007

[9] Quinn murder hunt: two flee to England, by Henry McDonald, The Observer, 28 October 2007

(10) Six arrested in connection with Paul Quinn Murder, Gerry Moriarty, The Irish Times, 30 July 2008

(11) Three more held in Quinn murder case, Gerry Moriarty, The Irish Times, 1 Aug 2008

(12) Another man arrested in Quinn murder case, Elaine Edwards, Irish Times, 6 Aug 2008

(13) Republicans held over savage Quinn murder, Tom Brady, Independent, 30 July 2008

(14) Man held over Quinn murder freed, BBC News, 7 Aug 2008

(15) Quinn murder suspect released after two days, Newry Democrat, 23 July 2009