CLONOE: Inquest adjourned to later date

THE historical inquiry into the killing of four IRA men by the SAS in a Clonoe church car park in 1992 has been adjourned to a later date to allow for more evidence to be disclosed. 

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.

A number of statements have already been read out including witness accounts from the police, health service workers and army who were taken at the scene of the incident.

The evidence that is still to be disclosed is expert evidence from both an engineer and a ballistic expert which has been described has ‘vital’ to the inquiry.

The expert evidence could take up to six weeks to be fully completed but no timeline was given at the length of the adjournment.

It was also suggested that during this time the inquest may take a visit to the scene of the shooting at St Patrick’s Church, Clonoe.

A preliminary hearing will be held on October 5 at the Royal Courts Of Justice Belfast for an update on the adjournment timeline.