Catholic Woman's family Suing Britain For Collusion in UDA murder

[Taft2016]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...alleged-collusion-in-uda-murder-30183803.html

The family of a Catholic woman shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries 20 years ago are to sue the British Government for alleged collusion in her murder, it was revealed today.

Mrs Clinton, 34, was watching television when gunmen smashed a window at her house off the lower Ormeau Road and opened fire.

Her children were in the house when she was killed.

Although Mr Clinton was not present, it is believed he was the UDA gang's target.

The legal action will centre on whether military intelligence knew and, if so, what was done to warn the family.

Mr Clinton has said he would consent to an amnesty for those who pulled the trigger.

But he insisted he wants to know who was allegedly responsible within the British state for creating a climate that allowed the killers operate.

His lawyer, Kevin Winters, gave further details on the lawsuit.

Mr Winters said: "The De Silva report into the killing of Pat Finucane provides official confirmation for the first time that the security forces knew Jim Clinton was targeted.

"It points to clear evidence of collusion between elements of the state and paramilitaries.

"That in turn allows us to make the necessary discovery applications through the courts."

In other words, "State Sponsored Terrorism"

 

[Airstrip One]

Those damned barbaric limeys!!

 

[Taft2016]

http://www.patfinucanereview.org/report/volume01/executive-summary-and-principal-conclusions/

1. Patrick Finucane, a practising lawyer, was murdered in his home in North Belfast on the evening of Sunday 12 February 1989. The attack was carried out by gunmen from the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), as he sat down for dinner with his wife, Geraldine, and their three young children. Geraldine Finucane was injured in the attack.

2. I was appointed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 12 October 2011 to conduct an independent Review into the question of State involvement in the murder. On that day the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon David Cameron MP, made the following comments in the House of Commons:

"I profoundly believe that the right thing for the Finucane family, for Northern Ireland and for everyone in the United Kingdom is … for the British Government to do the really important thing, which is to open up and tell the truth about what happened 22 years ago. Frank acknowledgement of what went wrong, an apology for what happened - that is what is required."

3. The Prime Minister's comments were followed by an Oral Statement by the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, who said:

"The Government accept the clear conclusions of Lord Stevens and Judge Cory that there was collusion. I want to reiterate the Government's apology in the House today. The Government are deeply sorry for what happened. Despite the clear conclusions of previous investigations and reports, there is still only limited information in the public domain. That is why my right honourable friend the Prime Minister and I have committed to establishing a further process to ensure that the truth is revealed."

The involvement of State agents in the murder

79. A central feature of my Review was to establish the level and degree of involvement that agents of the State had in Patrick Finucane's murder. I examined the role that the FRU's agent, Brian Nelson, had in the murder. It is clear to me that, during the course of Sir John Stevens' previous investigations, Nelson had always significantly downplayed the true extent of his involvement in the conspiracy.

80. By his own admission, Brian Nelson was asked by one of the key loyalist figures behind the murder plot, whom I shall refer to as L/28, to target Patrick Finucane. Although Nelson claimed not to have subsequently conducted that requested targeting, I am satisfied that he did.

81. Nelson produced and stored in his intelligence dump what were termed 'Personality cards' ('P cards') on individuals about whom he was gathering targeting information. The 'P cards' were then used by the UDA for the purpose of attacking those targets. I believe it is likely that Nelson produced a 'P card' relating to Patrick Finucane which he may have disseminated himself to other loyalist paramilitaries, although it is also possible that they could have taken it directly from his intelligence dump.

82. I also believe that, prior to the murder, Nelson carried out a reconnaissance ('recce'), on the Finucanes' home in North Belfast. Such 'recces' were carried out in order to gather information which would subsequently assist a 'hit team' to attack an individual.

83. I am sure that Nelson passed a photograph of Patrick Finucane to L/28 and Kenneth Barrett on Tuesday 7 February 1989, five days before the murder took place. It was a published photograph depicting Patrick Finucane with a client, Patrick McGeown, outside a court. Nelson subsequently claimed that he was duped into handing over the photograph, but I do not accept that suggestion. I believe that he consciously handed it over in the knowledge that the UDA would use it to assist their targeting of Patrick Finucane. Considering all the evidence regarding his involvement cumulatively, I am satisfied that Nelson played an important part in the murder.