Widow of murdered councillor ‘shattered’ after inquest blow

THE widow of a Trillick councillor murdered nearly 50 years ago says she has been left ‘shattered’ after the High Court was told that a lack of resources means that her family may never now get the inquest they have been demanding.

Teresa Kelly has campaigned for 49 years to seek justice for the killing of her husband Patsy on July 24, 1974.

He was abducted and murdered after closing the family pub in the village.

Earlier this year, a report from the Police Ombudsman, Marie Anderson, concluded that the conduct of police officers involved in the investigation amounted to ‘collusive behaviour’ and pointed to the ‘deliberate withholding’ of evidence and the failure to act on intelligence about an active UVF unit in the Fermanagh area.

The Attorney General later directed that a fresh inquest into the killing of Mr Kelly should be held.

But at a High Court hearing on Friday, the Presiding Coroner said that the completion of the inquest was unlikely before the introduction of controversial new legacy legislation next May.

In a statement afterwards, Mrs Kelly said she had always hoped to get justice.

“To be told this morning (Friday) by a High Court Judge that lack of resources probably means my family will never get an inquest was disappointing and shattering,” she said.

“My children and grandchildren have all grown up with this. In 50 years nothing has changed. This is what the British state do.”

Mr Justice Humphreys, Presiding Coroner, made the statement in relation to the outstanding legacy inquests, including that of Patsy Kelly.

He said that an inquest into his death was one of nine additional legacy inquests which have been subject to directions from the Attorney General.

“In two cases, Burns and Kelly, the next of kin submit that these inquests could be case managed and completed by May 1, 2024. Both relate to a single death in single incident and, it is said, ought to occupy a modest amount of court time,” he said.

Referring to the case of Pomeroy man, Patrick McElhone – where the evidence heard by the Coroner was dealt with in five days – Mr Justice Humphreys added that the state bodies maintain that moving from ‘allocation to conclusion’ of an inquest in five months is ‘unrealistic’.

“The unfortunate, but inevitable, effect of the position which all PIPs and practitioners find themselves is that there are simply no resources available which would enable me, in my role as Presiding Coroner, to allocate responsibility for any of the remaining legacy inquests to coroners at the moment.

“Even if I were to do so, experience indicates that it would be very difficult for an inquest to come to a conclusion prior to May 2024.

“I recognise the disappointment, upset and anger this will cause to relatives whose loved ones have died and who have an expectation that an inquest will be held to find out how the death occurred.”