People looking to UK Government to do right thing over Brown murder – McDonald

People throughout Ireland are looking to the UK Government to “do the right thing” in setting up a public inquiry into the murder of Sean Brown, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has said.

Ms McDonald, party vice president Michelle O’Neill and MP John Finucane met with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn on Monday, where the need for an investigation into the killing of the GAA official in 1997 was raised.

Ms McDonald said she urged Mr Benn to respond in a constructive way to a recent Court of Appeal judgment.

Mr Brown, 61, the chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club in Co Londonderry, was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997.

No-one has ever been convicted of his killing.

Earlier this month, three judges at the Court of Appeal in Belfast said the Government’s failure to order a public inquiry into the murder is unlawful and gave Mr Benn four weeks to “reflect upon the judgment” before another hearing.

The UK Government has said it will carefully consider the judgment.

Ms McDonald said the meeting with Mr Benn was “very comprehensive and constructive”.

She added: “We covered a lot of ground with him including the need for the British Government to respond positively to the family of Sean Brown.

“To respond to the latest court judgment which makes clear that there must be a public inquiry and a mechanism that is human rights, article 2 compliant to get to the truth.

“We repeated the very powerful words of Bridie (Brown), his widow, who has been resolute and has been consistent over the years in seeking out the truth and justice for her late husband when she said ‘please don’t make me go to London’.

“I don’t think anybody should underestimate just how resolute this family is and of course everyone in Ireland and further afield is now looking to the British Government to do the right thing.”

Ms McDonald said the UK Government had a “fairly shameful record” in dealing with legacy matters over the years.

She added: “We have emphasised to the Secretary of State the necessity to do the right thing, to respond in a constructive and positive way to the court ruling and to give the Brown family the process they need to find truth and to find justice.”

Last week Mr Benn said he had brought the case to the Court of Appeal on the constitutional principle of who should order public inquiries.

He has said he is committed to an independent investigation into the murder of Mr Brown but has said the “long-standing convention” is that governments, and not courts, order public inquiries.

Mr Benn has also said he is taking steps to ensure a new truth recovery body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), is capable of carrying out an independent and rigorous investigation into the murder.

However, the Brown family have said they do not believe the ICRIR can properly investigate the killing and have called for a public inquiry.

Last year a coroner halted an inquest into the killing, expressing concern that his ability to examine the case had been “compromised” by the extent of confidential state material being excluded from the proceedings on national security grounds.

Preliminary inquest proceedings had already heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.

It had also been alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.