A POLICE review of the loyalist murder of a GAA official in the North could take two years, an inquest heard yesterday.
Seán Brown’s shooting after he locked up club grounds in Co Derry has generated substantial quantities of paperwork and possible links to other cases need to be reviewed, a senior member of the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) told the Belfast hearing.
Mr Brown (61), was shot dead by the Loyalist Volunteer Force in 1997 after being abducted as he locked the gates at the GAA club in Bellaghy.
John Brannigan, head of intelligence at the HET, said: “Certainly it won’t be completed within 12 months, I would imagine it could take as long as two years.
“A lot of the groundwork will have been done but it is still time-consuming for us to review all of the documents and all of the forensic material and we have to look at other cases it is linked to and look at those to see if there are any opportunities that may arise and that may be significant.”
Nobody has been charged with Mr Brown’s murder, which is one of more than 1,800 unsolved killings during the Northern Ireland conflict. His body was found in a burned-out car.
There have already been three separate investigations, including by the police and former police ombudsman Nuala O’Loan, into the killing.
The HET has been tasked to probe all unresolved Troubles murders but detectives have not yet started to read the files on Mr Brown’s death, Mr Brannigan said.
Karen Quinlivan, barrister for Mr Brown’s family, told the court they may oppose the adjournment of the inquest if they are not satisfied with the effort being made by the HET.
“It just seems an extraordinary length of time in the circumstances where we have already had three separate investigations, all of which have concluded reports and all of which have reviewed the available material,” she said.
She asked for the matter to be initially reviewed by the HET in a few weeks so the inquest could have an idea how long the full investigation would take.
In January 2004 former police ombudsman Nuala O’Loan said she had upheld two complaints from Mr Brown’s family about the Royal Ulster Constabulary investigation into Mr Brown’s death.
Mr Brannigan told yesterday’s 25-minute hearing that the HET wanted to interview two former police senior investigating officers, including then detective chief superintendent Hamilton Houston, about the case.
Legal issues still to be decided on by the inquest include whether anonymity will be required by some of the witnesses and what documents should be produced.
Ms Quinlivan said the length of time the inquest had taken was already in breach of the family’s right to a speedy investigation.
Mr Leckey questioned whether coroners should leave matters “in abeyance” for two years.
“I am reticent about directing that that (Brown HET report) be provided in case it puts another investigation on the backburner.” He ruled there should be a short period while more information is provided to the family about how long a HET probe will take.– (PA)