5 March 1998 Edition
Clegg acquitted
By Ned Kelly
LAST week's decision to give a retrial to Lee Clegg perpetuates the misery of Karen Reilly's family, still grieving after their daughter was murdered by Clegg's patrol.
The decision by Judge Robert Carswell allows a bogus argument about a bullet aimed at the back or at the side of a speeding car.
Eighteen year old Karen Reilly and 17 year-old Martin Peake were killed and 16 year-old Markovitch Gorman seriously injured in a hail of bullets on the Glen Road in 1990.
Paratrooper Lee Clegg was subsequently convicted of Karen's murder and served two years of a life sentence before being allowed back on duty and promoted.
Eyewitnesses at the time destroyed claims by the Crown Forces that the car the teenagers had been driving had crashed through a road block.
No-one was ever charged with the murder of Martin Peake. Ever since his conviction Clegg has fought a high profile campaign backed by the British establishment.
The level of Clegg's regret at the death of Ms Reilly is best seen through the mural the Paras painted in Palace Barracks after the incident with the message, ``built by robots, driven by morons, stopped by `A' company.``
In Clegg's attempt to clear his name `new evidence' was admitted into court. It was forensic evidence based on computer simulation of events that night and had nothing to do with a re-examination of original evidence. Clearly whatever the point of entry of the bullet from Clegg's gun, there was no threat to the patrol from the young joyriders.
LAST week's decision to give a retrial to Lee Clegg perpetuates the misery of Karen Reilly's family, still grieving after their daughter was murdered by Clegg's patrol.
The decision by Judge Robert Carswell allows a bogus argument about a bullet aimed at the back or at the side of a speeding car.
Eighteen year old Karen Reilly and 17 year-old Martin Peake were killed and 16 year-old Markovitch Gorman seriously injured in a hail of bullets on the Glen Road in 1990.
Paratrooper Lee Clegg was subsequently convicted of Karen's murder and served two years of a life sentence before being allowed back on duty and promoted.
Eyewitnesses at the time destroyed claims by the Crown Forces that the car the teenagers had been driving had crashed through a road block.
No-one was ever charged with the murder of Martin Peake. Ever since his conviction Clegg has fought a high profile campaign backed by the British establishment.
The level of Clegg's regret at the death of Ms Reilly is best seen through the mural the Paras painted in Palace Barracks after the incident with the message, ``built by robots, driven by morons, stopped by `A' company.``
In Clegg's attempt to clear his name `new evidence' was admitted into court. It was forensic evidence based on computer simulation of events that night and had nothing to do with a re-examination of original evidence. Clearly whatever the point of entry of the bullet from Clegg's gun, there was no threat to the patrol from the young joyriders.