CLONOE: Inquest opens into IRA deaths

AN inquest has opened into the deaths of four Provisional IRA members shot dead by the SAS in the car park of a Clonoe church 31 years ago.

The main focus of the hearing is to determine whether or not members of the British Army specialist unit were justified in using lethal force during an ambush operation.

This morning at Laganside Courthouse in Belfast, the North’s presiding coroner, Mr Justice Michael Humphreys, opened the inquest into the shootings in the car park of St Patrick’s Church in 1992.

A barrister representing the coroner said, because of the absence of material, the precise scope of the inquest has not yet been determined.

He added, “It is, however, likely to include consideration of the following – the state of knowledge of those involved, the purpose of the operation, its planning and control, the actions of those involved at all stages of the operation, the nature and degree of force used, the circumstances in which that force was used and whether the use of lethal force was justified.

“A particular focus of the inquest will be that final question, whether the use of lethal force was justified. In that regard, the actions of the soldiers within the special military unit, as well as those of the deceased and others, will be the subject of substantial scrutiny.”

The hearing was told that, because the full disclosure process had not yet been completed, the inquest would open before being adjourned.

Kevin Barry O’Donnell (21), Sean O’Farrell (23), Peter Clancy (19), and Daniel Vincent (20), were shot by SAS soldiers minutes after they had carried out a gun attack on Coalisland RUC station.

The special forces opened fire as the men arrived at St Patrick’s Church, Clonoe car park in a stolen lorry they had used in the police station attack.

The hearing was told that tests showed the lorry had been hit by at least 68 bullets.

A Public Prosecution Service (PPS) barrister told the inquest that witness statements taken from soldiers at the time claimed that their use of lethal force was ‘justified in order to protect their own lives and those of their colleagues’.