Stakeknife killing of Workers Party member almost led to more deaths in 1987

Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, July 30th, 2025

A “SENSITIVE RUC source” was providing information about the activities of British army agent Stakeknife to police, a new report has revealed.

Workers Party member Thomas Emmanuel Wilson (35), known as Manuel, was shot dead by the Provisional IRA in June 1987 after being branded an informer – a claim his family denies.

A father-of-four, Mr Wilson’s body was found in an alleyway off Rodney Parade, Donegall Road, in June 1987.

Operation Kenova was established in 2016 to investigate the activities of the British agent known as Stakeknife, including the murder of Mr Wilson.

At the time, his killing raised tensions between the Official IRA, which Kenova says he is believed to have been a member of, and their Provisional counterparts.

Fresh details about the circumstances of his murder have come to light after Operation Kenova recently presented a ‘family report’ to Mr Wilson’s loved ones.

It has now emerged that in the days after his death a “sensitive RUC source” provided police with information about the role of a man identified as Suspect I.

Suspect I is believed to be the British army agent known as Stakeknife, who in 2003 was revealed as Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci.

Suspect linked to 14 murders

A former commander of the IRA’s Internal Security Unit (ISU), Scappaticci has been linked to 14 murders and 15 abductions.

Also known as the ‘Nutting Squad’, the ISU was responsible for hunting down and killing informers during the Troubles.

The recent report confirms that more than one source was providing information about the activities of the ISU to state agencies.

Scappaticci has not been officially identified as Stakeknife by Operation Kenova, or any other state agency, due to the British government’s

Neither Confirm Nor Deny (NCND) approach to naming agents.

Mr Wilson’s son Paul last night said his father was killed by “paid hitmen” and British “government assassins” and called for a public inquiry into his murder.

The recent report provides new information about Mr Wilson’s death.

It confirms that the investigation team has recovered 35 “post murder intelligence reports” referencing the murder.

Three of these were generated “as a result of information provided by Suspect I”, who was arrested by Kenova detectives in 2018.

In total, 19 intelligence reports highlight the OIRA’s “disapproval of PIRA’s action and direct involvement in the murder of Thomas”.

Army ‘recommended Suspect I’s arrest to protect him’.

It reveals that Suspect I was involved in an “extensive” ISU investigation into Mr Wilson in June 1987.

British Army Information to RUC Special Branch disappeared

Kenova has evidence from military records that intelligence was passed to RUC Special Branch by the British army on June 27 – three days after Mr Wilson was killed.

The intelligence originates from Suspect I “and clearly refers to a detailed report of the PIRA ISU arrest and interrogation” of Mr Wilson.

“However, the relevant intelligence report has not been recovered by Kenova despite extensive searches,” the Kenova document adds.

Operation Kenova also confirms it has recovered “sensitive intelligence” that “directly implicates Suspect I as being involved in the interrogation that led to the murder of Thomas”.

The report also outlines that Kenova’s investigations “have revealed the direct involvement of the same army informant in numerous similar fact murders over the years prior” to that of Mr Wilson.

The document confirms that the British army later recommended the arrest of seven people to the RUC, including Suspect I, for the murder of Mr Wilson and others.

“This recommendation was made with a view to protecting Suspect I rather than holding those responsible for the murder to account,” the report reveals.

Significantly, the report also reveals that Operation Kenova has “recovered intelligence from a sensitive RUC source that directly implicates Suspect I as being involved in the interrogation that led to Thomas’s murder”.

Second informer

The existence of a second suspected informer supplying information about the activities of the ISU confirms that Scappaticci was not the state’s only source of intelligence about the unit’s activities.

The report reveals that the gun used to kill Mr Wilson, a 9mm Parabellum Browning pistol, was also used to murder five other people.

Two of these took place prior to the shooting of Mr Wilson, while three lethal attacks were carried out afterwards.

The gun was also used in four punishment attacks, including that of Victim 3.

In October 1987, Victim 3 was shot eight times including twice in both ankles, knees and elbows by the Provos for “alleged misconduct”.

He has identified Suspect I as one of six men who came into his home, claiming the agent fired the first shot into his ankle.

The victim, who gave a statement to Operation Kenova, refused to identify the other five people who attacked him.

Kenova findings

Operation Kenova confirms that the gun has also been linked to another attack which claimed the life of Victim 5 in January 1988.

Victim 5 was “abducted and subsequently executed by PIRA on suspicion of being an informer for the security services”.

Although not named, it is believed Victim 5 is Anthony McKiernan (44), a father-of-four from the Market area of south Belfast.

In the Wilson family report, Operation Kenova states it has “recovered evidence that directly implicates Suspect I as being involved in this offence”.

It also confirms that Suspect I reported on both the murder of Mr Wilson and Victim 5 to his handlers.

Investigators add that they are also able to “prove linkage” between Mr Wilson’s murder, the shooting of Victim 3 and the killing of Victim 5 “through expert forensic ballistic evidence”.

Operation Kenova concludes that the “reports provided by Suspect I himself, independent intelligence from another informant, witness evidence and ballistic evidence obtained by Kenova overwhelmingly points to the involvement of Suspect I in the interrogation of Thomas, which ultimately led to his murder by PIRA”.

The gun used to kill Mr Wilson was recovered, along with an AKM rifle, by the RUC after a follow-up operation linked to a thwarted attack at Girdwood Barracks in north Belfast in April 1989.

The weapon was destroyed in May 1992.

Solicitor Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, said: “The revelation in this case that an RUC Special Branch informant was reporting on Fred Scappaticci shouldn’t really come as any surprise.

“After all, the existence of more than one agent connected to ISU was foretold, albeit fleetingly, in last year’s interim Kenova report.

“With the delivery of these bespoke family reports we are now getting more detail on what was already flagged up last March.”

Family demands public inquiry into Stakeknife-linked murder

Connla Young, Irish News, July 30th, 2025

THE son of a Workers Party member shot dead by the Provisional IRA has called for a public inquiry into his murder.

Paul Wilson spoke out after Operation Kenova provided his family with a private report into the murder of his father Thomas Emmanuel Wilson, known as Manuel, almost 40 years ago.

Operation Kenova was established in 2016 to investigate the activities of the British agent known as Stakeknife, which includes the murder of Mr Wilson.

The 35-year-old was shot dead by the Provisionals in June 1987 after being branded an informer – a claim his family denies.

A father-of-four, Mr Wilson’s body was found in an alleyway off Rodney Parade, near Donegall Road in west Belfast, after shots were heard.

Operation Kenova say Mr Wilson is believed to have been a member of the Official IRA.

His killing raised tensions between the on-ceasefire Officials and their Provisional IRA rivals.

It has now emerged that in the days after his death a “sensitive RUC source” provided police with information about the role of a man identified as Suspect I.

Stakeknife was chief suspect

Suspect I is believed to be the British army agent known as Stakeknife, who in 2003 was revealed as Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci.

A former commander of the IRA’s Internal Security Unit (ISU), Scappaticci has been linked to 14 murders and 15 abductions.

Sometimes referred to as the ‘Nutting Squad’, the ISU was responsible for hunting down and killing informers during the Troubles.

The recent Kenova report now confirms that more than one source was providing information about the activities of the ISU to state agencies.

It reveals the Kenova investigation team recovered 35 “post murder intelligence reports” referencing the killing.

Three of these were generated “as a result of information provided by Suspect I” while 19 intelligence reports highlight the OIRA’s “disapproval of PIRA’s action”.

Operation Kenova also confirms it has recovered “sensitive intelligence” that “directly implicates Suspect I as being involved in the interrogation that led to the murder of Thomas”.

Mr Wilson’s son Paul, who was just nine months old when his father was killed, believes the recent Kenova report “raises more questions than anything”.

Much detail missing

“There is still so much detail missing, ie Scappaticci gave three intel reports about dad but not one of the reports said where he was taken,” he said.

“I don’t think we will ever get that information.

“We don’t know what’s in the intel reports, so it’s hard to know what exactly it is that’s missing.”

The gun used to kill Mr Wilson was used in five other murders and four punishment attacks.

It was recovered during an RUC follow-up operation linked to a thwarted gun attack in north Belfast in April 1989 and later destroyed.

Paul Wilson believes police failed in their duty to fully investigate his father’s killing.

“That is just one part of their negligence,” he said.

“It was almost like once the murder happened… when you go through the report, nothing was updated on dad’s file after June 30.”

He also believes lives could have been saved by police.

“Just on the gun alone… there was another three murders after dad on that gun,” he said.

Earlier action could have saved more lives

“So, if they had acted in the days and weeks after, people’s lives would have been saved, and there were people kneecapped with that gun, people’s lives changed.”

The campaigning son believes that the IRA’s secret security unit was completely compromised.

“I am of the belief that almost everyone in the Internal Security Unit was either an informant or knew the majority of the team were,” he said.

Referring to the “sensitive RUC source” he said “what must he think if he’s pointing at a guy for murder who’s in the Internal Security Unit and he’s not picked up?

“I can’t make that link of how the police wouldn’t do something.”

Mr Wilson highlighted that Suspect I “was never interrogated or questioned over it despite naming himself as being there”.

He strongly dismissed claims by former RUC officers that they ‘did their best’ in relation to historical cases and that an informer would have been prosecuted if wrongdoing had been detected.

He believes high-level informers within the ISU were little more than killers for hire.

Paid hit men

“It’s coming as clear as day now that these guys were paid hit men and they were allowed to do it. They were government assassins,” he said.

The report reveals the British army recommended the RUC arrest seven people, including Suspect I, for the murder of Mr Wilson and others “with a view to protecting Suspect I rather than holding those responsible for the murder to account”.

“That’s collusion, that’s cover up,” Mr Wilson said.

“In a nutshell, that’s all that is. “When you read it, you have to reread it, and you go, that can’t be what they mean, but it is.

“It’s negligence from the cops, criminal negligence if you ask me.”

In total there are 12 suspects identified by Kenova, with two, Suspect I arrested in 2018, and Suspect J, detained a year later.

In 2021 Suspect B, who was arrested in the aftermath of the murder along with the now deceased Suspect C, was interviewed under caution and made no reply to any questions put.

Former British Army handlers questioned

Five former British soldiers were questioned under caution “about their handling of the agent Stakeknife, which included the murder of Thomas”.

A file on Mr Wilson was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in 2021 and a ‘no prosecution’ decision was issued in November 2023 – seven months after the death of Scappaticci.

“Dad’s case was with PPS for two years before he (Scappaticci) died and nothing was ever done,” Mr Wilson said.

“It just beggars belief.”

Mr Wilson said his family has been denied access to vital information.

“All this stuff went to the PPS and someone down there got to read it,” he said.

“From my point of view that’s not that person’s information.

“That information should have been given to us.”

Miami Showband killer parade shows astonishing disregard for the victims

Pro Fide, Pro Patria, Irish News, July 30th, 2025

IN the early hours of tomorrow morning 50 years ago, one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles, the brutal attack by the UVF on the Miami Showband, took place on what was then the main Belfast to Dublin road.

The band, who had Catholic and Protestant members, were hugely popular on both sides of the border, and were returning south in a minibus after playing a show in Banbridge.

They were stopped north of Newry at what appeared to be a British army checkpoint but which was actually staged by the UVF, and were ordered to stand at the roadside while their vehicle was searched.

The UVF gang, which included serving British soldiers from the Ulster Defence Regiment, had an elaborate plan to hide a bomb with a timer device on the minibus, which would detonate after it crossed the border, giving the entirely false impression that the group was smuggling explosives for the IRA.

Instead, it blew up prematurely, killing two UVF members, Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville, before their colleagues opened fire on the band, murdering singer Fran O’Toole, guitarist Tony Geraghty and trumpeter Brian McCoy, and injuring Stephen Travers and Des McAlea.

Almost astonishingly, loyalists have organised an event officially known as the Harris Boyle 50th Anniversary Memorial demonstration, to be attended by more than 400 people and 15 bands in Portadown this Saturday.

All sides in our divided society are entitled to commemorate their dead, but it is essential that they do so in a sensitive manner, and it is impossible to imagine a less dignified occasion than a public parade which specifically honours a sectarian mass murderer.

The gathering is due to start from Levaghery Orange Hall, and, although the Orange Order has said it has not sanctioned it, it will be noted that loyalists have regularly claimed the GAA must take responsibility for a range of events which have no link with the association’s leadership.

Both loyalists and republicans need to be aware that their actions can cause enormous offence, during anniversaries and at all other times, and listen carefully to the views of those who are either the relatives of victims or survived acts of violence.

When loyalists previously paid tribute to Somerville, Stephen Travers, the bass player in the Miami who was viciously shot when his friends were massacred, but miraculously lived, offered a telling response.

He said he could see no point in objecting to the march, but commented: “…at the end of the day we are reflected in our heroes and, if that’s who they want to be associated with, well, God help them.”

Former senior PSNI officer selected to be new UUP candidate in North Antrim

Suzanne Breen, Belfast Telegraph, July 30th, 2025

PARTY 'DELIGHTED' TO APPOINT BURROWS AS ASSEMBLY MEMBER FOR NORTH ANTRIM

Former senior PSNI officer Jon Burrows will be the Ulster Unionists' new North Antrim MLA, the party has confirmed.

This newspaper previously reported that Burrows was one of four candidates in the running to fill the vacant seat left by Colin Crawford.

Mr Crawford formally stepped down from the position last week, with interviews taking place to replace him.

In a statement yesterday afternoon, the UUP confirmed Mr Burrows' selection following what the party described as a “rigorous” process, adding that the party was “delighted” with the decision.

A spokesperson for the UUP said: “We would like to thank Colin Crawford for his dedicated service to the Assembly over the last year and wish him well with future endeavours.”

Councillor Brian Thompson, chair of the North Antrim Association, added: “I want to start by thanking Colin for all of his efforts over the last year and wish him well. We also want to thank all those who put their name forward and took part in the selection process.

“We are delighted to have Jon on board. Jon is an exceptional individual, who has been appointed as the new MLA for North Antrim, and we look forward to working with him over the coming weeks and months ahead.”

Mr Burrows, a former head of the PSNI's discipline branch, retired from the force in 2021 after 22 years' service.

Guest speaker at TUV conference

He was a guest speaker at the TUV conference this year in an independent capacity, but was not a member. It is understood he joined the UUP recently.

A frequent media commentator, he lives in Co Down but previously lived in Ballymoney for 10 years.

Ahead of his selection, it is understood those in the leadership of the party were very keen on Mr Burrows because of his high media profile and professional background.

The other candidates who had been vying for the post included Sam Nicholson, who was previously Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon deputy mayor.

Glen Miller, who was the UUP's East Londonderry candidate in the same election, had also put his name forward.

He fought an energetic campaign in 2024 and is a director of his family business.

Both Mr Burrows and Mr Nicholson declined to comment when contacted.

Colin Crawford was co-opted into the North Antrim Assembly seat last July to replace Robin Swann after his successful election to Westminster.

A dispute around Mr Crawford's selection over Ballymoney councillor Darryl Wilson led to the resignation of the then UUP leader Doug Beattie.

Mr Crawford was less than a year in the job when he announced he was quitting.

The candidates to replace him were interviewed at party headquarters.

A UUP source in North Antrim said none of the three men were “the right fit for a constituency where the party has to confront a resurgent TUV”.

They described Mr Burrows as “a celebrity candidate” and said the “experience” of both Tim Collins as the 2024 Westminster candidate in North Down last year and of Ian Marshall in the 2022 Assembly election in West Tyrone had been “a disaster”.

The source expressed regret that “no female member” had put their name forward for the position.

Burrows has the skills and talent to become future leader of party

Suzanne Breen, Belfast Telegraph, July 30th, 2025

Jon Burrows hasn't even signed in at Stormont and he's already been spoken of as a future UUP leader.

That's a measure both of the regard in which he's held and the dearth of talent in the party's ranks.

Mike Nesbitt became leader last year because nobody else wanted it. His latest comments appear to indicate that he's not particularly keen to stay in post much longer.

Burrows is not about to find himself taking up the reins imminently. But, with a couple of years' experience at Stormont under his belt, he would be a contender to succeed whoever follows Nesbitt.

There were four men in the running for the North Antrim seat vacated by Colin Crawford, but Burrows alone had a high media profile.

He was previously a UUP member and was considered for a Westminster nomination last year, but it didn't materialise.

His membership lapsed, and he was politically unaligned when he addressed the TUV annual conference in Cookstown in March. However, he rejoined the UUP recently.

Burrows will be a big hitter for the party in the Assembly and on the airwaves. He's a skilled and confident performer who sits in TV studios like he's been doing it all his life.

“Jon is first class,” says one insider. “He's a good orator, and he knows what he's talking about. If we've any sense, we'll put him on the Policing Board.”

Burrows is now based in Co Down, but he knows North Antrim well. He lived there for a decade when he was in the police.

Seat vulnerable to TUV

His most pressing challenge will be to hold his seat. When Robin Swann was elected South Antrim MP, the TUV rightly reckoned that the UUP Assembly seat was vulnerable.

That impression didn't change when the very low-profile Colin Crawford was co-opted into the seat. Crawford's shock resignation after just a year in the job further increased the chances of a TUV gain in the 2027 Assembly election.

It was expected that Timothy Gaston, who is from Glarryford outside Ballymena, would be joined on the ticket by Samuel McCracken who manages Jim Allister's Ballymoney office.

McCracken isn't from the constituency but married into a prominent Ballymoney unionist family and now lives in the town.

There was a strong chance that such a well balanced TUV ticket would result in the party taking two seats in North Antrim. The odds of that have surely diminished.

Some see Burrows as another “celebrity candidate” and predict that his foray into politics will be disastrous. However, he is very different from Colonel Tim Collins who unsuccessfully contested North Down in last year's Westminster election.

Burrows has spent his professional life in Northern Ireland. He is much more savvy, and is unlikely to make the faux pas that characterised the hapless Collins' campaign.

One senior UUP figure was totally opposed to the retired PSNI officer securing the seat. He sees him as too close to former leader Doug Beattie.

Supporters of Burrows argue that's unfair, and he's very much his own man. They say he is fully aware that the constituency he will now represent is a deeply conservative one which doesn't look kindly on liberal unionists.

Medical records being sought for man accused of pipe bomb attack on Belfast Islamic Centre

Alan Erwin, Irish News and Belfast Telegraph, July 30th, 2025

MEDICAL records are being sought for a man who allegedly carried out a pipe bomb attack on the Belfast Islamic Centre, a court heard yesterday.

A lawyer for Jonathan Robert Bell suggested psychiatric intervention may be required due to the state of his mental health.

The 34-year-old was arrested after a viable explosive device was thrown through a window of the building during evening prayer on June 20.

The centre on the University Road had to be evacuated during the security alert.

Bell, of Chester Manor in the city, faces charges of attempted arson with intent to endanger life and attempting to cause an explosion.

He is further accused of making explosives with intent to endanger life – namely a pipe bomb – and criminal damage to a window on the building.

With his release on licence for unrelated matters now revoked, he has remained in custody since the alleged attack.

At Belfast magistrates court yesterday, police provided an update on progress made in the investigation.

A detective disclosed that all forensic reports are expected to be completed by early November.

District Judge Steven Keown was also told an application has been made for Bell’s GP notes.

Turlough Madden, defending, said: “We have concerns regarding his capacity and mental health.”

The barrister indicated there has not yet been a psychiatric intervention and made a further request for the judge to order an Article 51 assessment of the accused.

However, Mr Keown identified no benefit in issuing the direction at this stage.

“He’s been assessed by the prison,” Mr Keown pointed out.

Adjourning the case for four weeks, he added: “Hopefully you can get movement on his GP notes and an assessment on his capacity.”

The scene of an attack on the Belfast Islamic Centre after a device was thrown inside while people were praying.

Dissident avoids extra prison time for terrorism notification breaches

Christopher Woodhouse, Belfast Telegraph and Irish News, July 30th, 2025

BOMBER'S LATEST SENTENCES WILL RUN CONCURRENTLY WITH HIS CURRENT TERM

Dissident republican bomber Gavin Coyle will not spend an extra day in jail after being found guilty of failing to comply with his terrorism notification requirements.

The 48-year-old is currently serving an eight-year sentence for the attempted murder of a police officer with an under-car booby-trap device.

Coyle was jailed in October 2023 for the 2008 attack in Castlederg, but was already subject to stringent disclosure requirements due to prior arms convictions.

He appeared via video-link before Omagh Magistrates Court last week for a contested hearing of seven charges under the Counter Terrorism Act.

Coyle was accused of failing to tell police he had access to a mobile phone, not disclosing his landline number, that he had use of an email account, the details of his Halifax bank account and the details of two cars to which he had access.

The breaches occurred on various dates between January 2020 and January 2022.

A prosecution lawyer told the court Coyle was subject to the requirements for a period of 14 years and was bound to give police any required information under the Act within three days.

She said Coyle was told of the requirements upon his conviction.

Coyle did not give evidence to the hearing, with his barrister telling the court his defence was one of reasonable excuse.

He said Coyle believed his solicitors at the time were taking care of the notification requirements and there was evidence of a “significant number” of emails sent by them available to the court.

The barrister also pointed out Coyle had been signing bail at a police station every day during the period the breaches were said to have occurred and no issues were ever raised with him.

He said Coyle had an “honest belief” he was complying with the requirements as expected.

Convicting Coyle, District Judge Peter Magill said the case was “relatively simple” as the Counter Terrorism Act put the responsibility for compliance on the person to whom it applies.

He said ignorance of the law was no excuse and he was satisfied the case against him had been made out.

Passing sentence, Judge Magill said there were a number of breaches which occurred over a considerable period of time. However, he said by not giving evidence, Coyle had not wasted the court's time and imposed a three-month sentence on each count.

The judge said the sentences, which are concurrent, would run from the day of conviction.

Murder bid

Coyle was initially jailed for six years for the Real IRA murder bid on the off-duty officer, but had his sentence increased last year by the Court of Appeal.

The officer escaped death after being dragged from the wreckage of the vehicle before it burst into flames, but was left with serious injuries to his legs.

Coyle pleaded guilty to IRA membership and providing his car for use in terrorist purposes.

He was originally ordered to serve four years in prison and the remaining two years on licence.

But the Public Prosecution Service referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that it was too lenient.

'Top New IRA man' facing trial on explosives charges

Christopher Woodhouse, Belfast Telegraph, July 30th, 2025

41-YEAR-OLD ACCUSED OF POSSESSING MILITARY-GRADE EXPLOSIVES

Alleged senior New IRA figure Brian Carron remained silent as a judge sent him for Crown Court trial on a series of possession of explosives charges.

The 41-year-old sat with his arms folded in the video-link booth of Maghaberry Prison throughout the hearing at Omagh Magistrates Court.

Formerly of Claremount Drive in Coalisland, but now in jail on remand, Carron is accused of possessing the military-grade explosives RDX and PETN.

He is also charged with preparing terrorist acts and having articles for use in the course of terrorism, namely black gloves.

According to court documents, the charges were allegedly committed between May 2022 and May 2023.

Carron's solicitor also challenged an application by the prosecution to introduce bad character evidence against him.

A prosecution lawyer told the court searches of a property had recovered a jacket on which traces of RDX were allegedly found.

A further search of the house in May 2023 uncovered a black glove down the side of a fridge freezer on which traces of PETN were allegedly detected.

Other bad character evidence included Carron's attendance at a rally by Saoradh, the political wing of the New IRA, and gestures he is alleged to have made towards police.

The prosecution barrister said Carron was supposedly seen making a closed fist and moving his thumb up and down as if he was pressing a button.

Carron's solicitor said he had not been charged with any offences in relation to the Saoradh rally or the alleged gestures he made towards police.

He said that Saoradh was not a proscribed organisation and Carron had a democratic right to attend protests and there was nothing which caused police to suspect he was engaged in criminal behaviour.

After agreeing Carron had a case to answer in relation to the charges, District Judge Peter Magill ordered him to be returned for trial at Belfast Crown Court on a date to be fixed.

Judge Magill also agreed to admit bad character evidence in relation to the alleged gestures made by Carron but not in relation to the attendance at a protest.

However, he pointed out there was nothing to stop Carron's legal representatives challenging that decision at the Crown Court.

Caldwell murder bid

The charges Carron faces in this case overlap with offences related to the attempted murder of DCI John Caldwell by the New IRA in Omagh in February 2023.

He is one of a number of men charged in relation to the assassination bid on the senior PSNI officer who was shot and seriously wounded in the grounds of a sports centre in the town.

DCI Caldwell had been coaching a children's football session at the centre before the gunmen arrived.

Carron is charged with attempted murder and membership of a proscribed organisation, which he denies.

Previous hearings of that case heard how police recovered a hat and a trainer in the aftermath of the shooting which had traces of nitro-glycerine indicative of cartridge discharge residue matching that found on DCI Caldwell's clothing.

His lawyers argued there was no “forensic footprint” linking him to the shooting.

Former top civil servant Sue Gray appointed to Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) Senate

By Rebecca Black PA, Belfast News Letter, July 30th, 2025

Former top civil servant Baroness Sue Gray has been appointed to serve on Queen’s University Senate.

Dr Feargal McCormack was also announced as a pro-chancellor at the Belfast university, while Anna Beggan and Lyle Watters have been appointed as lay members of the senate.

Baroness Gray, a former chief of staff to the UK Prime Minister and permanent secretary at the Stormont Department of Finance, also worked as chief of staff to then leader of the opposition Sir Keir Starmer in 2023.

She currently serves as chairwoman of Consello, UK.

“Queen’s holds a special place in the heart of Northern Ireland and plays a vital role on the national and international stage,” she said.

“I feel deeply committed to supporting its mission of excellence in education, research and civic engagement and hope my experience in public service will contribute to its strong governance and uphold the values that has made Queen’s such an important institution for generations past, and those yet to come.”

Dr McCormack is currently senior partner at AAB Group and a former president of Chartered Accountants Ireland. He has also been appointed as pro-chancellor and will serve as the deputy chairman of Senate and chairman of the Senate planning, finance and resources committee.

Ms Beggan, a former partner at Tughans Solicitors with extensive experience in employment law, while Mr Watters is a former senior executive at Ford Motor Company with almost four decades of international leadership.

The appointments take effect from August 1 2025 and last four years, following an extensive selection process involving students, staff, alumni and independent assessors, and are non-remunerated.

Dr Len O’Hagan, pro-chancellor and chairman of Senate, said they are “outstanding appointments that will strengthen the governance and strategic direction of Queen’s”.

Professor Sir Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor, added: “Effective governance is essential to the success and integrity of global university.

“With these appointments, Queen’s gains individuals of exceptional distinction and experience who share a deep commitment to public service and the advancement of higher education.

“I look forward to working with our new Pro-Chancellors and Lay Members of Senate, as we deliver our ambitious Strategy 2030.”

One week on from apology Eugene Thompson dies without truth or justice

Conor McParland, Belfast Media, July 30th, 2025

THE brother of a West Belfast man shot dead by the UDA has died a week after receiving an apology from the Chief Constable.

Eugene Thompson led his family's fight for truth and justice regarding the circumstances surrounding the murder of his brother Paul in Springfield Park in April 1994. The family always suspected collusion in the killing as the RUC had been alerted earlier in the day to the breach in the 'peace wall'. A loyalist gunman fired through a hole which had been cut into an interface security fence, hitting Paul as he sat in the passenger's seat of a taxi.

Last week Eugene received an apology from PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, who visited him at his hospital bed.

Eugene, who was terminally ill, died before hearing a Supreme Court ruling on the PSNI and Secretary of State's attempts to block information regarding the murder of Paul from being released by the coroner, which is due imminently.

A joint statement from Relatives for Justice and the Committee on the Administrative of Justice read: "Eugene died without ever seeing the disclosure of the intelligence material relevant to his brother’s inquest. He died without hearing the Supreme Court judgment. And he died, most tragically, without truth or justice for what happened to Paul.

"Eugene spent the final years of his life leading his family’s campaign for truth, following in the footsteps of his late mother Margaret, who also passed away without answers. He fought with determination, dignity and clarity of purpose, even in the face of serious illness and overwhelming institutional resistance.

A profound injustice

"That he has died while the case remains unresolved is a profound injustice in itself — one that should weigh heavily on those responsible for the persistent delays, obstruction and legal challenges that have defined this process.

"At the heart of this legal battle is the question of whether the family of Paul Thompson is entitled to receive even the most limited information — a ‘gist’ — about the intelligence held by the State regarding his death. The PSNI, led by Jon Boucher, said yes. The High Court and the Court of Appeal said yes. The Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence and Home Office appealed. The UK Supreme Court heard the case in June and reserved judgment.

"Eugene’s death underscores the human cost of a system designed not to deliver answers, but to delay and deny them. His brother Paul was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in circumstances where collusion is strongly suspected — yet the State has fought to keep key information hidden for over 30 years. Like so many others, Eugene encountered a government more committed to secrecy than to justice. Despite this, he remained resolute in his pursuit of truth — not only for Paul, but for all families who have suffered from the State’s failure to protect its citizens and its ongoing refusal to be held to account. His death without answers is a profound injustice — and one that must not be allowed to stand.

"This case sits within the broader context of the UK Government’s Legacy Act and its deeply flawed new structures, including the ICRIR, which aim to shut down independent legal processes and shield the State from scrutiny. The fact that a family can spend more than 30 years seeking the most basic disclosure — and still be denied it — is a stark illustration of why these legacy mechanisms are so profoundly wrong.

"RFJ extend our deepest sympathies to Eugene’s loved ones, especially Briege. We also reaffirm our support for all families still seeking truth, justice and accountability. Eugene should not have had to fight this long, and he should not have died without answers.

"We will continue that fight in his name and in memory of all those who have been silenced not by time, but by deliberate delay."

Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey added: “I want to express my thoughts and condolences with the family of Eugene Thompson who sadly passed away today.

“Eugene, alongside his family, led a brave and dignified campaign to uncover the full extent of Paul’s sectarian murder and the role the British state played in it.

"Shamefully, the British government continues to conceal this, denying Eugene’s family, and so many others, even the most basic justice.

“Just last week, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher delivered a letter to Eugene Thompson as he lay terminally ill in the Mater Hospital. This was testament to Eugene’s character, determined right to the end to see justice for Paul.

“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”