Doubts over ballistic tests

BALLISTICS tests on the gun used to kill pensioner Roseann Mallon were done by RUC Special Branch officers who might not have been properly qualified, an inquest has heard.

Ms Roseann Mallon (76), was gunned down as she watched television at her home in Dunngannon, Co Tyrone, on May 8 1994.

The Czech-bought assault rifle, now linked to 11 other murders and two attempted murders, was first examined at the Weapons and Explosives Research Centre (Werc) – a previously unheard of unit located within the Northern Ireland Forensic Science Laboratory, the court was told. Mr Justice Weir, who is hearing the long-awaited inquest, said: “This is the first time it has ever come to my attention that there was a forensic system.” Ms Mallon (76) was gunned down as she watched television at a house near Dungannon, Co Tyrone on May 8 1994. The spinster, who had been staying with relatives because she felt vulnerable, was unable to escape when two loyalist gunmen indiscriminately opened fire on the bungalow on Cullenrammer Road.

The UVF said its mid-Ulster brigade had been responsible (although it was widely beleived to be members of Billy Wright‘s LVF gang) and were targeting two of her nephews Christopher Mallon, who was not home at the time and Martin Mallon who lived half a mile away. In the wake of the shooting, British army spying equipment was found in a nearby field sparking claims of security force collusion. Last week it emerged that the Historical Enquries Team (HET) – a specialist unit set up to re-examine Troubles-related cold cases – had linked the murder weapon to the UVF killings of Charles and Theresa Fox at the Moy, Co Armagh, in 1992, as well as the murders of John Quinn, Dwayne O’Donnell, Malcolm Nugent and Tommy Armstrong outside a bar in Cappagh, Co Tyrone in 1991. But, Barry McDonald QC, who is representing the Mallon family, said the rifle was now known to have been involved in at least eight incidents that resulted in 11 murders and two attempted murders.

COLLUSION = STATEMURDER

He said inaccurate information that the gun had no previous previous history was fed into the the system by Special Branch. Mr MacDonald said: “The practice seems to have been when cartrige cases were collected they were forwared to the Forensic Science Laboratory of Northern Ireland but it was the Werc who conducted their investigations and provided a steer. “The upshot is that these incorrect conclusions have been made by a section of Special Branch in circumstances where the object of this entire exercise – that’s this inquest – is to allay suspicion and rumour about the involvement of Special Branch.” Judge Weir told the court he had never heard of Werc despite a lengthy career as a defence barrister and judge. He also expressed concern that they were not ballistics experts and said he would be demanding a full explanation on how they operated and who took the decision to conceal their existence. Martin Mallon said the family had been left bemused by the latest revelations. He said: “We have had Special Branch hiding behind screens, we have heard evidence about burning notebooks and items being destroyed. We have consistently heard about Special Branch being a force within a force and now it appears that Werc was unit within a unit. Notorious killer Billy Wright and two other loyalists were arrested and questioned about Ms Mallon’s murder but no-one has ever been convicted. Sinn Fein MLA Sean Lynch, who sits on the Stormont justice committee and is a Mallon family friend, said: “It is obvious that the British state is covering up, delaying and prevaricating on vital evidence – particularly around ballistics.” The inquest has now been adjourned until May to allow the HET to complete its investigation into 24 murders in the East Tyone area between 1988 and 1994 – including Ms Mallon’s murder.

With many thanks to: The Irish News.

   Related articles

• Doubts over Mallon ballistics tests (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Roseann Mallon murder: Tests on UVF murder weapon questioned (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Roseann Mallon murder: Judge hits out over hindering of inquest (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• Legacy inquest: Devout pensioner gunned down by loyalists (newsletter.co.uk)
• Roseann Mallon inquest: ‘RUC pressured boy, 10, into changing statement’ (newsletter.co.uk)
• Army Surveillance Tapes Wiped After Uvf Murder of Pensioner (belfastdaily.co.uk)

ON THIS DAY IN 1981 Martin Hurson from Cappagh, died aged 24, after 46 days on Hungerstrike in the H Blocks of Long Kesh ! Remember Him With Pride !

Tyrone National Graves Association

Martin was born on September 13th 1956 in Aughnaskea, Cappagh. He was the 8th of 9 nine children. He was arrested on November 11th 1976 after a series of swoops on the Cappagh area by the British. He was subsequently tortured and forced to sign statements admitting republican activity. He was charged with a landmine attack in Galbally (which was later dropped) but still faced charges of IRA membership, possession of the Galbally landmine, conspiracy to kill members of enemy forces, causing an explosion in Cappagh in September 1975 and possession of a landmine in Reclain in February 1976.

Once in Long Kesh Martin went straight on the blanket and then replaced Brendan McLaughlin on the hungerstrike on the 29th of May 1981 after Brendan was forced to withdraw due to a perforated stomach ulcer.

While on hungerstrike Martin took part in a Free State election for Longford/Westmeath, he polled four and a half thousand first preference votes and over a thousand transfers.

Unfortunately after 40 days on strike Martin became unable to hold down water and died of dehydration less than a week later. He was 24 years old.

Remember him with pride

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Miami massacre report indicates RUC collusion in Tyrone murders, claims Dungannon Councillor

Barry Monteith

Published on Friday 30 December 2011 11:02

A HUMAN rights group has revealed evidence linking the RUC Special Branch agent involved in the Miami Showband massacre with a string of murders in Tyrone including the Hillcrest Bar bomb in 1976.

The Pat Finucane Centre (PFC) has carried out extensive research into a loyalist death squad, infiltrated by the RUC and the UDR, which is alleged to have murdered Daniel Hughes in 1974 at Boyle’s Bar , Cappagh, Owen Boyle at his home in Aughnacloy in 1975, Francis and Bernadette Mullan in 1973 at Broughadoey, Tyrone, as well as the Hillcrest Bar bomb in 1976 which killed Andrew Small, James McCaughey, Joseph Kelly and Patrick Barnard.

DungannonIndependent Republican Councillor Barry Monteith said he hoped fresh evidence relating to the Miami Showband massacre would spark new interest in the atrocities which took place in the so-called ‘murder triangle’.

“The further evidence revealed recently about the attack on the Miami Showband shows clearly the high level of collusion between the British Forces and the UVF. At least 5 of those directly involved were serving British Soldiers and another worked for one of the British intelligence services.

“The attack has been linked to the ‘Glenanne gang’ which was responsible for over 100 murders and countless attacks against the nationalist community in East Tyrone, Armagh and surrounding areas in the mid-1970s. How many of these attacks had serving British Soldiers and British intelligence agents involved in them? Where did the orders come from? Who gave the orders?

“Attacking people socialising and places where people socialised was not a one-off. It was part of a campaign of terror against the nationalist population who were guilty only of being Irish in British Occupied Ireland. People were also killed in attacks on the Hillcrest Bar in Dungannon, Hayden’s Bar in Rock, Falls’ Bar in Derrytresk, Boyle’s Bar in Cappagh to name a few.

“In any other country if state forces were found to have been involved in a murder campaign then there would be outrage. Yet Britain still successfully hides its dirty war in Ireland.”

Last week, the PSNI’s Historical Enquiries Team (HET) revealed evidence which pointed to the involvement of notorious loyalist leader Robin ‘The Jackal’ Jackson — believed to have been an RUC Special Branch agent — as well as a number of UDR soldiers in the killing of the three showband members in July 1975.

Jackson’s fingerprints were found on a silencer attached to a Luger pistolthat was used in the murders.

The Pat Finucane centre is co-operating with families in the Dungannon area whose relatives were murdered by loyalist paramilitaries operating out of Portadown, Dungannon and Armagh.

They have connected a number of killings and attempted murders in the Dungannon and Moy areas to two weapons, a .455 Revolver and a 9mm SMG.

Alan Bracknell, who is leading the research, said that the Historical Enquiries Team were in the process of investigating the activities of the death squad.

He expects the official investigation will find evidence that collusion did occur and that there was a cover-up by security forces.

“The team will have access to the official documents and be able to corroborate or disprove our findings.

“I would expect them to uncover more evidence of collusion and perhaps prove that some of the connections we have made are unfounded.

“The families of the victims, who have always suspected collusion, will want to have the truth and some of them will want to have charges brought.

“Realistically, however, the chances of successful prosecutions after all this time are slight.

“The purpose of this research is to finally reveal the truth and allow our community to learn lessons from the past.”

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• ‘Agent involved’ in Miami murders (bbc.co.uk)
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