The family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown have said they are devastated after the British government ruled out holding a public inquiry into his death.
The 61-year-old was attacked and beaten by a LVF gang as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAC, Co Derry, in May 1997.
After he was placed in the boot of his own car, he was taken to a country lane outside Randalstown, Co Antrim, where he was shot six times.
It emerged during an inquest hearing into his death earlier this year that more than 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.
It also emerged that a suspect in the murder was believed to be a serving member of the Royal Irish Regiment while another held a personal protection weapon and was regularly visited by a police officer at his home.
Coroner Patrick Kinney, who is also a High Court judge, heard that a surveillance operation whih was centred on notorious LVF member Mark ‘Swinger’ Fulton was halted the night before Mr Brown was murdered.
The inquest into Mr Brown’s killing was later abandoned after the coroner confirmed he was unable to complete it due to PSNI and MI5 failures to disclose vital information.
Mr Kinney later wrote to then Conservative Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris to request a public inquiry.
The Brown family’s hopes for justice received another blow on Friday when Labour Secretary of State Hillary Benn ruled out the possibility of an inquiry.
Earlier this week Mr Benn announced there will be an inquiry into the 1989 murder of solicitor Pat Finucane by the UDA/UFF.
In a statement the family said: “We are today devastated that Hilary Benn MP has acted in defiance of the judiciary and has ignored the explicit direction of a High Court Judge to convene a Public Inquiry.
“The (British) state is terrified that their carefully curated official history of the conflict is now being contradicted by judicially endorsed legal facts, hence their attempts to deny victims of access to the courts and access to justice.”
The family said that say they will continue their campaign for truth.
“Today’s devastating decision is merely an event in a long and shameful chronology, which must be an eternal embarrassment to the state,” they said.
Solicitor Niall Murphy, of KRW Law, said the British government decision will have an impact on the family of Mr Brown including his widow Bridie.
“Today’s announcement has a retraumatising effect on a family but most specifically an 87-year-old widow, already coming to the terms with the facts that were permitted to emanate from the inquest process,” he said.
Mr Benn said that while he has sympathy for the Brown family he has “concluded that an inquiry under the Inquiries Act is not the best way to proceed”.
He encouraged the Brown family to meet with the Independent Commissioner for Reconciliation and Information Recovery’s (ICRIR).
Many victims, and relatives of those who died during the Troubles, are strongly opposed to the ICRIR, believing it to be part of British government attempts to protect state participants from accountability.
Sinn Féin MLA Emma Sheerin has branded the decision by the British government to reject a public inquiry as “callous”.
“The only way to establish the full extent of what happened to Sean is through an independent statutory public inquiry,” she said.
“This was recommended by the coroner just six months ago and was also supported by the PSNI, the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, the Tánaiste Micheál Martin and also the president of the GAA Jarlath Burns.
“This callous decision by the British Secretary of State Hilary Benn flies in the face of his government’s commitment to support victims and families and to work with them on an agreed way forward for legacy.”
