Captured, handcuffed and then shot by RUC

THE Police Ombudsman in the North is to launch a new probe into the murder of IRA Volunteer Colum Marks by an undercover RUC unit after a witness has come forward with “significant” new evidence which indicates the unarmed man had been under arrest when he was shot three times.

Colum (29) was on active services when he shot dead by an undercover RUC unit which had been lying in wait on 10 April 1991 in Downpatrick. At the time, the RUC officers claimed they were “in great personal danger” when they saw a man running towards them who they believed to be armed. 

The officers also claimed they had shouted warnings and fired two warning shots before killing Colum Marks. The IRA Volunteer was found to be unarmed. A mortar launcher was found nearby.

Gavin Booth of KRW Law told An Phoblacht that significant new evidence points to a “shoot-to-kill” operation:

“The advance knowledge police had about the attack meant they should have been in a position to arrest him without opening fire,” he said.

“The police claimed Colum Marks ignored a number of warnings to stop and was shot because it was feared he posed a threat. No gun nor explosive residue was ever found on Colum Marks, supporting claims that he was shot after being arrested. An eyewitness has now come forward and supported these claims.”

Colum Marks's family say the RUC had staked the area out, creating a “killing zone” and interrogated him as he lay wounded in the field where he was shot and delayed medical intervention – they took 30 minutes to bring him to hospital which was less than two minutes from the scene of their ambush.

In a statement, KRW Law says new evidence from an eyewitness indicates that Colum Marks was murdered after being arrested:

“The eyewitness has said that on the night of the shooting he saw a man, believed to have been Colum Marks, being escorted along a street under police guard. He said it was clear the man was under arrest, and that three RUC officers were with him. That completely contradicts the police version of events.”

Gavin Booth says this new evidence completely undermines the RUC's version of events:

“It supports the family's claim that Colum was shot after being arrested. This was clearly a shoot-to-kill operation. Serious questions remain unanswered around the murder of Colum Marks. This is another step forward in this process. Last month we welcomed the decision by the Public Prosecution Service to review the decision not to prosecute the officer who murdered Colum Marks,” he said.

Local Sinn Féin MLA Chris Hazzard has welcomed the decision by the Police Ombudsman:

“I hope this investigation will help get to the truth of what happened and I call on the RUC officers involved in Colum's killing to cooperate fully with the Ombudsman's investigation,” he said.