The family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown have said they will not give up until they secure a public inquiry into his death.
Family members, including Mr Brown’s 87-year-old widow Bridie, attended Belfast’s Court of Appeal on Thursday for a Government legal challenge over a decision by the High Court to order a public inquiry into the 1997 loyalist killing.
The hearing was told that it was the 57th time Mrs Brown had attended court as part of her long battle to secure answers about her husband’s death.
Speaking to the media after the hearing, she said: “It has been a long day. I am tired. Secretary of State (Hilary Benn), do the proper thing.”
Mr Brown was shot dead after being abducted as he locked the gates of the Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club. Intelligence material has linked state agents to the death of the 61-year-old.
Mr Benn is appealing against a court ruling from December that a public inquiry should be held. The Government’s barrister argued that ruling was wrong in law.
Mr Brown’s daughter Clare Loughran said there was no alternative to a public inquiry.
She said: “We have been here 57 times. The Secretary of State really needs to do the right thing.
“We have two high court judges saying we need a public inquiry to get to the truth of Daddy’s murder.
“We have also the PSNI Chief Constable saying he would not stand in the way of a public inquiry.
“At this stage now we don’t see any reasonable alternative.
“I don’t understand why the Secretary of State continues to appeal this.
“My mother is 87 years of age. It has been a really long day and it has been a really long journey.
“We are almost 27 years since Daddy lost his life.
“At this stage now all we want is to get to the truth, that is all it has ever been about.
“That is why we continue to fight, and we will continue to fight.”
Ms Loughran said she hoped the appeal hearing would bring them a step closer to a public inquiry.
She said: “All we ever wanted to do, all Mummy ever wanted to do, is to find out the truth about why my father was targeted.
“He was an innocent man. We want to get to the bottom of this.
“We have endured an awful lot over the last 28 years and we are not going to give up.
“There is still a lot of truth to be got.”
The family’s solicitor Niall Murphy said Mr Benn “has to understand the legal and emerging political realities of this case”.
