Family of Sean Brown will continue fight for justice

The family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown have vowed to continue their fight for justice after an inquest was abandoned.

Mr Brown’s daughter, Siobhan Brown, was speaking after a coroner confirmed he was unable to complete the delayed inquest due to PSNI and MI5 failures to disclose vital information.

Judge Patrick Kinney said he intends to write to the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris to request a public inquiry.

Mr Brown (61) was attacked, beaten and abducted by a LVF gang as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolf Tones GAA club in May 1997.

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After being bundled into the boot of his own car he was driven to a laneway near Randalstown, Co Antrim, where he was shot six times.

His family, and others, have long suspected collusion and no-one has ever been charged.

During Monday’s hearing, barrister Des Fahy KC, acting for the Brown family, confirmed that a surveillance operation centred on notorious LVF man Mark ‘Swinger’ Fulton was stopped the night before Mr Brown was murdered.

It was put back in place the following morning.

Last week the coroner heard that more than 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.

It has previously 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.

The inquest has been repeatedly delayed over delays by state agencies in handing over key information.

Since Mr Brown’s death, members of his family, including his widow Bridie (86), have been present at more than 40 inquest-related hearings, the majority of which were attended by his son Damian, who died in 2021 after a short illness.

At court on Monday Mr Brown’s daughters Siobhan and Clare held framed pictures of their father, while his granddaughter Eimear Brady clutched a picture of her grandad and deceased uncle.

Ms Brown said the decision to abandon the inquest did not come as a shock.

“Obviously it came as no surprise that he (the coroner) couldn’t discharge his responsibility or his obligations to hold the inquest due to the amount of material that he wasn’t going to be able to use in an open forum,” she said.

“But it was very welcome that he did say that he was going to write to the secretary of state and ask for a public inquiry and that he would expect a response within four weeks of him writing.”

She said her family remain determined to find out the truth.

The family has also asked the Irish government for support.

“There’s a determination that we are not going to let it lie, we are going to go on and do the best we can for daddy,” she said.

“The fight goes on, we are not going to sit back and let it dwindle away.”

GAA president Jarlath Burns attended Monday’s hearing along with Ulster chief executive Brian McAvoy and Derry chairman John Keenan.

In a statement, the GAA said it acknowledged “the work and diligence of the coroner and will continue to assist and support the Brown family in their quest for full disclosure, truth and justice after a 27 year wait”.

Solicitor Niall Murphy, of KRW Law, said: “That a senior coroner finds that his legal duty to conduct a full, fair and fearless investigation into the murder is ‘seriously compromised’, by virtue of the ‘deplorable and inexcusable’ conduct of state agencies is a frightening circumstance for the Brown family to comprehend.”

Alan Brecknell from the Pat Finucane Centre, which has supported the Brown family, said: “The PFC calls on the Secretary of State to make a positive decision as soon as possible and also calls on the Irish Government to support the call for a public inquiry.”

SDLP Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone and Sinn Féin’s Emma Sheerin both backed a public inquiry.

A spokeswoman for the NIO said Mr Heaton-Harris will “give careful consideration to the coroner’s ruling”.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the PSNI acknowledged the comments of the coroner.

He said he was determined to work with families impacted by the disclosure limitations of the coronial process.

“The Brown family, and indeed others, have been let down by the lack of a suitable mechanism to address sensitive information at inquests,” he said.

He added that he was looking to address those issues and police would cooperate with any public inquiry.