Northern Ireland

Family of murdered Catholic raise fresh concerns about the role of a suspect

Harry Muldoon was murdered by the UVF in 1984
Harry Muldoon was murdered by the UVF in 1984

THE family of a Catholic man shot dead by the UVF almost 40 years ago have raised fresh concerns about a suspect in the case.

Black taxi driver Harry Muldoon (45) was gunned down after gunmen smashed their way into his home at Mountainview Drive north Belfast home on October 31, 1984.

An RUC witness later told an inquest that the father-of-two was not connected with any paramilitary organisation and was singled out because he was a Catholic taxi driver.

A gun used to kill Mr Muldoon was also used to claim the life of Tony McAtarsney near Belfast city centre in July 1984.

One of Mr Muldoon's killers, Denis McClean, was later convicted of his murder and that of two other people along with the manslaughter of a female RUC reservist.

He received a total of 400 years behind bars and is understood to have been released under the Good Friday Agreement after serving 10 years.

A report published by the now defunct Historical Enquiries Team revealed seven other people, who were given cyphers, were arrested in connection with the murder.

It was also revealed that Mr Muldoon had been warned two years before his murder that his name and address were known to loyalists.

It emerged that a car owned by one of the suspects, known as Suspect A, was seen by police near Mr Muldoon's home about 25 minutes before the murder and again in a lay-by 45 minutes later.

Suspect A, who was named in intelligence reports as being involved, was later questioned by police and items recovered from his home included fragments of glass taken from a plastic glove.

The report also revealed that it was recorded in case papers that a forensic scientist said the glass particles matched samples from the point of entry at Mr Muldoon's home and "'appeared to be quite strong evidence’ (that would prove Suspect A’s presence at the murder scene)".

Another scientist also claimed that "there was only the most tenuous connection" between the recovered particles and the glass taken from Mr Muldoon's home.

After a meeting with the RUC and prosecutors in November 1984 it was decided that glass particle comparison evidence was inconclusive and not enough to charge Suspect A.

Mr Muldoon's daughter Angela Liddy has concerns that there was collusion and added that she will "never give up fighting for justice" her father.

"I want to know why Suspect A was never charged with my daddy’s murder," she said.

"To think that members of the RUC passed on information or that some of those involved in my father’s murder were working as informers for the police is reprehensible.”

The grieving daughter added that Suspect A had "taken so much" from her family including Mr Muldoon's grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

"They never got to know their granda...the beautiful memories we have of our daddy Harry and a lot of people who knew him and how much respect they had for him how he was a great fella," she said.

"We are so proud of these memories....so proud of daddy," she said.

It was later confirmed to Relatives for Justice (RFJ), who work with Mr Muldoon's family, that photographs and documents found in McClean's possession were looked at by the Steven's Inquiry, which examined collusion.

Paul Butler from RFJ said the "collusion has been a feature and hallmark of all these killings especially in North Belfast where we have found strong evidence of loyalists having been supplied with information by the RUC to target members of the nationalist community".