Northern Ireland

Family of Sam Marshall voice collusion concerns on 30th anniversary

Lurgan man Sam Marshall was killed 30 years ago today
Lurgan man Sam Marshall was killed 30 years ago today

THE family of a Co Armagh man shot dead while under British army surveillance 30 years ago believe soldiers may have been involved.

Sam Marshall (31) was shot by two masked men seconds after leaving Lurgan RUC station on March 7 1990.

The Sinn Féin member and former prisoner had attended the station to answer bail conditions in connection with an ammunition find.

His brother-in-law Tony McCaughey and prominent Lurgan republican Colin Duffy were with him at the time but escaped injury.

A 2012 Historical Enquiries Team (HET) report confirmed that the three men were under heavy security force surveillance when the attack took place.

It also emerged that two plain-clothes soldiers with camera equipment were in an observation post at the RUC station as the three men arrived and left.

Two of the undercover soldiers "partially witnessed" the loyalist attack.

Mr Marshall’s brother John last night spoke of his family’s frustration that an inquest has yet to be held.

“We are still waiting on an inquest after 30 years,” he said.

Mr Marshall said his family has no doubt there was collusion and believes the British army’s undercover Force Research Unit may have been involved.

“We all know it,” he said.

“The more I think about the FRU was involved in it,” he said.

He added that on the night his brother was killed there was tension in the air.

“That night in Lurgan you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife,” he said.

Mr Marshall’s case is one of more than 50 legacy inquests due to take place in the coming years.