FIRST Minister of Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill has written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer to re-emphasise the need for a public inquiry into the killing of GAA official Sean Brown in 1997.
The move comes in the wake of the courts finding in favour of Mr Brown’s family last week, which overturned a previous government decision not to hold such an inquiry. Ms O’Neill said that she was making a ‘direct plea to the British government’.
Almost 20 years ago, Mr Brown was abducted from outside a GAA club in Bellaghy, Co Derry, before being driven to Randalstown, Co Antrim, where he was killed after being shot six times in the head by loyalist paramilitaries. Intelligence material has since linked state agents to the 61 year-old’s death.
Last Thursday, the Court of Appeal ruled that the British government’s refusal to hold a public inquiry into the killing was unlawful. Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, has been four weeks to reconsider the government’s position.
Ms O’Neill’s statement said that the British government should respect the High Court ruling and grant a public inquiry ‘without any further delay’.
“Anything less would only further compound the grief and trauma of the Brown family,” Ms O’Neill said. “Who, despite the passage of nearly 28 years, have not given up their courageous and dignified battle for justice.
“There can be no more cynical moves or obstructionist tactics by the British government… A public inquiry is needed to at last establish the full truth around Sean Brown’s murder.”
For his part, Mr Benn has said that the Government will now ‘carefully consider’ the court ruling, following an earlier legal challenge which was made to overturn a court order to announce a public inquiry into Mr Brown’s murder.