THE family of murdered Crossmaglen footballer James Hughes are refusing to take part in an inquest into his killer's death until it is proven he should not have had access to a gun.
Relatives of Mr Hughes, a three-times All-Ireland club winner, say Shane Rogers had previous convictions for crimes including assault and should not have been allowed to own three legally-held weapons.
The family are boycotting an inquest into Rogers' suicide in a courthouse cell until someone "holds their hands up" and admits he should not have had a gun licence.
Rogers shot dead Mr Hughes - captain of the Crossmaglen Rangers football team - in Dundalk in December 2011 after seeing the father-of-three talking to his estranged girlfriend Patricia Byrne.
Nine days later the 32-year-old from Co Monaghan took his own life in a holding cell at Cloverhill Courthouse in Dublin.
Last month the family of Mr Hughes spoke of their disgust after Rogers' relatives were awarded €50,000 in damages over the circumstances of his death.
A prison inspector's report had found several failings by authorities.
Relatives of the murder victim insist Rogers' previous convictions meant he "should have been deemed unfit to hold a gun licence".
His sister Rita Duffy last night told The Irish News they are boycotting the inquest proceedings until someone is "held to account".
"It was adjourned again, it was supposed to be on today, but we have said we are not going to be backed into a corner," she said.
"We are not going any further with the inquest until we see Rogers' conviction orders. I think this is the 18th time we have refused and we will keep on doing that until we get answers.
"We know he had convictions and therefore should not have been allowed a gun licence.
"So we will keep refusing to go to the inquest until we get this."
Ms Duffy said the family would not stop until they had they had found closure.
"Someone has to be held to account, someone has to hold their hands up and say they did wrong," she said.
"If this saves someone else having to go what we as a family have had to go through, then it will have been worth it.
"We are digging our heels in."
