Coroner urges public inquiry into GAA official’s murder as inquest ‘compromised’

A coroner has called on the Government to order a public inquiry into the murder of a senior GAA official after ruling an inquest cannot proceed due to the withholding of sensitive files.

Mr Justice Kinney said his ability to examine the death of Sean Brown had been “compromised” by the extent of confidential state material being excluded from the proceedings on national security grounds.

Announcing the Public Interest Immunity (PII) ruling in Belfast, the coroner said he will be writing to Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, calling on the Government to establish a public inquiry into the loyalist murder.

Mr Brown, 61, was abducted and killed by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones Club in Co Londonderry in May 1997.

I am satisfied that my duty to carry out a full, fair and fearless investigation into Mr Brown’s death is seriously compromised as issues of central importance to the death cannot be dealt with by the inquest process

Mr Justice Kinney

Mr Justice Kinney’s ruling comes after the Security Service, Ministry of Defence and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) applied for multiple redactions on sensitive files related to the murder.

Preliminary inquest proceedings have already heard that in excess of 25 people have been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.