The UK government has announced its intention to challenge a recent inquest ruling that determined the shooting of four IRA men by Special Air Service (SAS) soldiers in Clonoe as unjustified, according to an MP. Following correspondence between Conservative MP James Cartlidge and the Minister for Veterans, it was revealed that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a “pre-action protocol letter to the coroner” in preparation for a judicial review application. Additionally, the veterans will have their judicial review funded by the department, which is expected to coincide with the MoD’s application.
The four IRA men – Kevin Barry O’Donnell, Sean O’Farrell, Peter Clancy, and Patrick Vincent – tragically lost their lives in February 1992 after carrying out a gun attack on Coalisland police station. Despite firing 60 shots during the attack, no injuries were reported. Soldiers opened fire on the men as they arrived at St Patrick’s Church car park in a hijacked lorry with a heavy machine gun attached to its tailgate. Intelligence had indicated the car park would be used, and security forces were prepared with 12 soldiers positioned behind a hedgerow.
Statements from the soldiers involved claimed that their use of lethal force was necessary to protect themselves and their colleagues from the perceived threat posed by the IRA unit. However, the coroner, Mr. Justice Michael Humphreys, deemed the use of lethal force unreasonable in February. He highlighted that there was no attempt made to arrest the IRA men, even after they were wounded. Mr. Justice Humphreys suggested that the soldiers could have improved their chances of arresting the men had they allowed them to dismount the machine gun before acting.
The inquest findings sparked political controversy and drew criticism from unionist and Conservative representatives. Last month, Mr. Justice Humphreys announced his intention to refer the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Stephen Herron for review. In such circumstances where it appears that an offense may have been committed, a coroner has the authority to refer the case to the DPP for further consideration and potentially prosecution. Any additional criminal investigation into the matter would require involvement from the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The Ministry of Defence has been approached for comment on the matter
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