Murder Probe Focuses On North's Undercover War

A UDA murder case is to be re-examined after Northern Ireland's Attorney General ordered a fresh inquest into the loyalist murder of Gerard Slane in 1988 - amid allegations that one of the killers was a British Army agent.

The victim, Mr Slane, 27, a father of three, was shot dead by the UDA at his home at Waterville Street, west Belfast, on 23 September.

In a major development at the time, his murder led to allegations of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and the security forces.

That was on account of Brian Nelson, a UDA man - later found to be working for British Intelligence - was implicated in the shooting.

As a result, the ex-soldier turned secret UDA agent stood trial in connection with a number of murders, including that of Mr Slane.

Mr Slane's widow, Teresa, has welcomed the decision to hold a new inquest and today, the Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams - the irish TD - also praised the decision by the Attorney General to reopen the inquest and has called for the British government to co-operate fully with it.

"The killing of Gerard Slane and Terence McDaid, and many more, are linked together through the involvement of UDA leader and British agent Brian Nelson.

"The formal and informal use of collusion involving British state forces and unionist paramilitaries was widespread.

"The Brian Nelson case provides one detailed example of how it worked at an administrative and institutional level," he alleged.

Lawyers acting for Mr Slane's family, Kevin R Winters & Co, made submissions to the Attorney General in a bid to have the case re-examined.

They said that Mr Slane died after UDA/UFF gunmen burst through the door of his home in the early hours of the morning and opened fire on him.

It has been alleged that Brian Nelson was initially charged with the murder of Gerard Slane after he was arrested in 1990 but this charge and another murder charge relating to the killing to Terence McDaid, were dropped when the then Attorney General Patrick Mayhew intervened.

Nelson then agreed to plead guilty to five conspiracies to murder and at least four sectarian murder charges against him were dropped and he was sentenced to 10 years. He was released after serving less than half his sentence, and spent the rest of his life under a false identity.

The family solicitor Kevin Winters claimed there were "many disturbing features and unanswered questions" in the case.

"Since the initial inquest, and the trial of Brian Nelson, who was charged in connection with Gerard's murder, there was no ventilation of key factors in the killing and subsequently much evidence has emerged which could not have been examined at the time," he said.

"Therefore, the Attorney General has rightly ordered a new inquest."

Also commenting on the news that the Attorney General has agreed to call a fresh inquest, Sinn Fein spokesperson on Policing Gerry Kelly said: "Brian Nelson, FRU and the RUC Special Branch are at the heart of Gerard Slane’s murder in 1988.

"His family have fought a long campaign for the truth. Time and gain they have been deliberately frustrated in this by British State concealment and cover-up."

He went further and urged the publication of a contentious and so far 'secret' document: "The Stevens Report examined in detail the circumstances surrounding the murder of Gerard Slane.

"As a first step in revealing the truth the British government should publish the Stevens Report. It is also important that the British government co-operates fully."

(BMcC/GK)