Refusal to hold inquiry into UVF murders condemned

THE British Government’s decision not to hold a public inquiry into the murder of four Catholics by loyalists in Moy more than 30 years ago has been condemned.

Kevin McKearney, aged 32, and his uncle Jack, who was 69, were gunned down on January 3, 1992 while working in the family butchers shop in the Moy.

Kevin died immediately, while Jack died from his injuries three months later on April 4.

Later that year, on September 6, Charles Fox (63) and his wife Teresa Fox (54) were murdered in the kitchen of their isolated home. Kevin McKearney was their son-in-law.

Their deaths have been linked through suspects involved and weapons.

The UVF claimed responsibility for the four murders in calls to Downtown Radio.

Family and friends of the victims believe that there was collusion surrounding their deaths. An inquest was halted back in April after problems with the disclosure of information.

Sinn Fein MLA, Colm Gildernew, has described the decision not to hold a public inquiry as “outrageous and disgraceful”.

Mr Gildernew said, “The McKearney and Fox family have fought with courage and dignity for over 32 years to establish the full extent of what happened to their loved ones.

“The decision by the British Secretary of State Hilary Benn to deny these families a public inquiry into the murder of their loved ones is absolutely outrageous and disgraceful.”

Mr Kelly added, “To date, Bernie Kearney, the wife of the late Jack, has yet to even receive a death certificate for Mr McKearney, and the British Secretary of State is not forthcoming about how she will obtain one. It is the clear view of these families that they have no trust or confidence in the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) and, in this case, the only way to fully establish full truth and justice is through an independent public inquiry. This was also the view of the coroner.”

A UK Government spokesperson said that NI Secretary of State, Hilary Benn MP, considered “a range of factors” in the decision.

The spokesperson added that Mr Benn “expressed his enormous sympathy for the families” and encouraged them to meet with Sir Declan Morgan of the ICRIR to hear how the body would approach an investigation.