Northern Ireland

Police Ombudsman facing calls to publish Sean Graham Bookmakers report

INFORMATION: Five men were murdered in the loyalist attack on Sean Graham bookmakers
INFORMATION: Five men were murdered in the loyalist attack on Sean Graham bookmakers INFORMATION: Five men were murdered in the loyalist attack on Sean Graham bookmakers

Relatives of five Catholic men shot dead by loyalists at Sean Graham bookmakers have called on Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson to publish a report into the atrocity.

The men died when a UDA gunman burst into the Ormeau Road bookmakers in south Belfast and opened fire on February 5, 1992.

The dead included Peter Magee (18), James Kennedy (15), Christy Doherty (51), William McManus (54) and Jack Duffin (66).

Seven people were also injured in the attack.

In February 2019 the publication of a Police Ombudsman report examining the bookmakers murders and a number of other killing carried by of the UDA in south Belfast was stalled after it emerged that information previously undisclosed to the watchdog had been found on PSNI computers.

Relatives of the dead have now called on current ombudsman Marie Anderson to release the results of the investigation, which is known as Operation Achille.

Bosco Kennedy, whose brother James was the youngest victim, said the murder took its toll on his mother.

"He was the second of five brothers and my mother never got over it, within two years she had died with a broken heart," he said.

"My father died six years ago in 2015, both of them died without having any justice.

"All we are asking is for the ombudsman's report to be published."

Mark Sykes, who was injured during the attack and whose 18-year-old brother in law Peter Magee was killed, has no doubt there was collusion.

"Collusion in this case is irrefutable and the Police Ombudsman report must reflect that, she must publish that report now," he said.

It was expected that relatives will hang a banner on the Ormeau Road today highlighting the delay.

A spokesman for the Police Ombudsman said: "Although the pandemic is impacting on our work, we are continuing to finalise the report and will move towards publication once procedural requirements are complete.

"We will continue to keep families and their representatives informed throughout this process."

Operation Achille was one of three legacy reports held back by former Police Ombudsman Michael Maguire.

At the time Dr Maguire said the new information discovered related to “sensitive material, intelligence-led material and includes information (on) covert policing”.

It is understood some of the information related to arms importation by loyalists in the late 1980s.

In October 2019 it emerged that even more undisclosed information had been discovered on police systems.

A legal challenge by retired RUC officers after Dr Maguire found collusion in the 1994 Loughinisland attack, which left six people dead, has also held up publication of the reports.

Last year a court rejected a bid to quash the watchdog's entire public statement on the atrocity.