Report into 1991 murder of Castlederg man due this week

A MAJOR report into the murder of Patrick Shanaghan from Castlederg and 18 others by loyalist paramilitaries is due to be published tomorrow (Friday).

Ombudsman Marie Anderson has been investigating the police handling of 19 loyalist paramilitary murders.

Among them, is the killing of Patrick Shanaghan who was gunned down by a gang on August 12, 1991. He was making his way to work at the DoE Services Yard in Castlederg.

The shooting came after a campaign of harassment against Mr Shanaghan.

He had escaped a murder attempt in 1989; his home and property were damaged on 16 occasions, and he was arrested on ten different occasions in the six years between 1985 and 1991.

In addition to probing the handling of the investigation into his murder, the Ombudsman has been examining 18 others, most notably the murders at the Rising Sun bar in Greysteel at Halloween 1993.

Aghyaran Sinn Fein councillor, Kieran McGuire, who has been helping the Shanaghan family in their campaign, said he was hoping that they would finally get the truth about what happened.

“There have been quite a number of false dawns for this family over the years, and they have dealt with innunendo and finger-pointing. But everyone in this area knew that Patrick Shanagan was innocent,” Cllr McGuire said.

“He was singled out for harassment from the time he was travelling on the school bus until the day he died. My hope is that the family now get the answers that they deserve.”