New inquest into 1989 UFF murder must see all RUC and British Government files

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

‘RUC material was withheld from the initial inquest, which in itself speaks volumes’

A FRESH CALL has been made for a full inquest into the UFF/UDA murder of North Antrim IRA Volunteer Gerard Casey in 1989.

Unionist gunmen burst into the family home in Rasharkin and shot Gerard Casey dead in front of his wife and daughter while other children slept in the next room.

Collusion between state forces and pro-British death squads has always been suspected in Gerard’s murder. He was held in Castlereagh Interrogation Centre prior to his murder and he had publicised the fact that the RUC had threatened his life.

The RUC raided his house and took his legally-held shotgun from him weeks before the murder. The same raiding party had also drawn detailed maps of the interior of his home. Weeks later, he was shot dead by a gang evidently familiar with the lay-out of his family home.

There are questions to be answered about the locations and conduct of RUC checkpoints in the area on the night of Gerard's murder.

Speaking last Thursday night at a commemoration in Rasharkin, North Antrim Sinn Féin MLA Daithí McKay said:

“This was a classic case of collusion and one of many similar cases that claimed lives on either side of the River Bann in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

“The Casey family never got a proper inquest into Gerard’s death. At the time, RUC material was withheld from the initial inquest, which in itself speaks volumes.

“A fresh inquest has now been ordered by the Attorney General and whilst this request was initially blocked by the senior coroner – who cited ‘national security’ issues as the reason for the suspension – this was lifted in February after a legal challenge.

“The very fact that the coroner has done this has left the families concerned with little faith in him. However, what we need now is an assurance that there will be no further blockages being put in place by the coroner or anyone else.

“We need to see a full inquest taking place with access to all relevant RUC and British Government files. We need to have a date for the inquest. Twenty-four years on, we need to hear the truth about who and which organisations were involved in the killing of Gerard Casey.”