A sister of a man shot dead in a suspected SAS shoot-to-kill operation has said relatives feel “vindicated” after a coroner found that the use of force was “not justified”.
Kevin Barry O’Donnell (21), Sean O’Farrell (22), Peter Clancy (21) and Patrick Vincent (20) were shot dead in the grounds of St Patrick’s Church at Clonoe, near Coalisland, Co Tyrone, in February 1992.
Several people were also injured during the incident.
The four men had earlier taken part in a gun attack on Coalisland RUC station.
Before the attack a hijacked lorry was fitted with a Russian made DShK machine gun.
When the IRA unit returned to a carpark at St Patrick’s Church to dismantle the weapon they were ambushed by the SAS, including 12 members who opened fire.
At a hearing Belfast on Thursday coroner Michael Humphreys said that “in each case the use of force was not justified”.
“The soldiers did not have an honest belief that it was necessary that in order to prevent loss of life and the use of force by the soldiers was in the circumstances they believe them to be not reasonable,” he said.
“The operation was not planned and controlled in such a way to as to minimise as to the greatest extent possible the need for recourse to lethal force.”
In his summing up the coroner, who is also a High Court judge, revealed that two of those who died, Kevin Barry O’Donnell and Sean O’Farrell, were shot in the back as they attempted to flee ambush site.
Both men were then shot in the face, with Mr O’Farrell being struck three times, as they lay incapacitated on the ground.
Mr Clancy was also shot while trying to escape and the coroner said that a bullet wound is “suggestive” of the dead the man “having his hands in the air at the time he was shot”.
The final victim was, Patrick Vincent, was found to be sitting in the cab of the hijacked lorry when he was shot and then when lying incapacitated across the vehicle’s seat.
Mr Humphrey’s found that the “indisputable circumstances of the incident at Clonoe are that no challenge was given”.
He added that the British soldiers were not shot at by the IRA men and that they used automatic fire and “well aimed shots”.
He also concluded that at least 514, and up to 570 rounds, were fired at the IRA members.
The coroner found that state agencies, including the RUC, told lies about the deadly ambush in its aftermath.
He said that a police press release claimed there was an “exchange of gunfire”.
The false claim was later repeated by the Ministry of Defence in a report to the then Secretary of State and in an internal British army report.
An RUC report also referred to an “exchange of gunfire”.
Mr Humpreys concluded that “It is also the case that agencies of the state perpetuated falsehoods about the events which unfolded at Clonoe.
“The initial press release referred to an “exchange of gunfire”, thereby ensuring that this was the narrative conveyed by the media,” he said.
“No steps were taken to rectify this and ensure that the public were made aware of a true account of events.
“Indeed, in submissions made to the inquest, wholly implausible attempts continue to be made to assert that members of the PIRA unit opened fire at the car park.
“This demonstrably did not happen.”
Mr Vincent’s sister, Marian Vincent, said relatives of the dead believe the men were executed.
“It isn’t even that the families take that view, the ballistic expert took that view and the coroner himself took that view,” she said.
“We knew that and that’s what we have felt.”
Ms Vincent said he inquest findings have had an impact.
“It was very emotional, there was a lot of tears,” she said.
“I think you feel a bit vindicated for their memory, for such a long process that we actually got to this end point.
“It’s bitter sweet too, it’s hard to say you are delighted about a verdict when ultimately what you are talking about is the truth has been confirmed in a court.
“But actually the truth comes back to the fact we have gone through a huge trauma and lost somebody very important to us.”
Independent Mid Ulster councillor Barry Monteith said he believed what happened constituted a breach of international law adding: “My thoughts are with the families, loved ones and friends of all four brave Irishmen”.
