Northern Ireland

Two republican groups believed to be involved in execution-style killing of Jim Donegan

Police have issued a fresh appeal for information about the murder of Jim Donegan, who was shot dead outside a west Belfast school on December 4 last year
Police have issued a fresh appeal for information about the murder of Jim Donegan, who was shot dead outside a west Belfast school on December 4 last year Police have issued a fresh appeal for information about the murder of Jim Donegan, who was shot dead outside a west Belfast school on December 4 last year

DETECTIVES investigating the murder of father-of-two Jim Donegan outside a school in west Belfast last year believe that the two republican paramilitary groups were involved in the fatal gun attack.

In a new appeal for information, on the first anniversary of the execution-style killing, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Peter Montgomery said he now believes two republican groupings may have been working together - the INLA and ONH (Óglaigh na hÉireann).

The 43-year-old was sitting in a red Porsche Panamera outside St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School on the Glen Road waiting for his teenage son on December 4, 2018 when he was shot dead by a lone gunman who used a semi-automatic pistol.

The killing happened in front of horrified pupils and parents.

Detectives - who have reviewed more than 340 hours of CCTV - have so far seized 607 evidential exhibits, taken 213 statements, conducted 12 searches and made 13 arrests but no-one has been convicted.

DCI Montgomery said: "I am confident that the answer to finding those involved in Jim’s murder lies within the community and I am appealing to people living in the area around Clonelly Avenue - where the gunman emerged from before walking along the Glen Road to carry out the assassination - to cast their minds back to this day last year," he said.

"You may think something you saw was insignificant but it may be the final piece of the jigsaw needed.

"I know from talking to witnesses that people were aware of someone wearing a bright fluorescent jacket and that recollections are focussed on this but I need people to try and remember if they saw the face of the person wearing it or anything unusual or distinct.

"I also believe the same man tried to murder Jim five days earlier in circumstances that would appear to be the carbon copy of the actual murder. Someone somewhere knows where he went after the murder, or may have helped him to escape out of the area unseen.”

Mr Montgomery said Mr Donegan's family deserved "to have answers and this community deserves to have this dangerous man sent to prison for this callous murder".

"I am appealing for the public’s help to remove this ruthless man from our streets," he said.