A BELFAST man whose brother was gunned down in an ice-cream parlour more than 30 years ago has called on his killer to apologise.
No-one has ever been convicted of the murder of RUC man John Larmour (42) amid claims police covered up the killing to protect a highly placed informer.
His brother George has repeatedly called for justice following the brutal killing, which he believes also led to the premature deaths of his parents "from broken hearts".
More than three decades on Mr Larmour has appealed to the killer to say sorry.
Writing in today's Irish News Mr Larmour says:
"Perhaps the gunman who killed my brother and effectively my mum and dad has the strength and integrity now in his own aging years to privately say that to me," he said.
"That would be a start."
Constable John Larmour was off-duty and helping out at George's ice-cream parlour in south Belfast when he was shot dead in 1988.
His family have alleged that RUC Special Branch officers were complicit in the killing. They also believe the RUC protected those responsible.
Mr Larmour's son, Gavin, who was 13 when his father was killed, believes the murder was not properly investigated to protect a high-level republican informer.
Mr Larmour also made a number of allegations about the killing and published a book in 2016, They Killed The Ice Cream Man, on the family's long search for answers.
Now aged 72, he discusses how it has been difficult dealing with "murder, tragedy and seeing unrepentant killers evade justice" as he ponders the idea of forgiveness.
But he says, while he accepts the saying, 'it takes a strong person to say sorry and an even stronger person to forgive', he believes "maybe some people need to find the courage and strength to say sorry for what they did".
