The use of lethal force by British soldiers against four IRA men in Co Tyrone in February 1992 was "not justified," presiding coroner Justice Michael Humphreys said in his verdict in Belfast today, Thursday, February 6.
Peter Clancy, 21, Kevin Barry O’Donnell, 21, Sean O’Farrell, 22, and Patrick Vincent, 20, were shot and killed by British soldiers on February 16, 1992, on the grounds of St. Patrick’s Church in Clonoe, near Coalisland, Co Tyrone.
The day after, the Provisional IRA (PIRA) confirmed that the four deceased were members of the East Tyrone Brigade and were on active service at the time of their deaths.
The coroner found that the four men died as a result of gunshots fired by members of a Specialist Military Unit (SMU), a unit within the British Army.
No inquest has previously been held into the deaths.
The verdict says that at about 9 pm on February 16, 1992, four masked men hijacked a lorry in Coalisland. They welded an improvised metal pipe to the top and center of the rear tailgate and attached a machine gun to it. They then drove it to Coalisland RUC station at around 10:40 pm where some 60 rounds were fired, but no one was injured.
"The lorry proceeded to the chapel car park where the soldiers opened fire on its occupants and three other vehicles in the car park," the verdict says.
"The four deceased were shot dead shortly before 23:00 hours."
The verdict adds: "A total of 514 spent cartridges, attributable to the guns fired by the army, were recovered from the scene. The chapel was struck 60 times. The lorry was struck by at least 68 bullets."
At least 514 rounds fired by soldiers
The coroner found that the indisputable circumstances of the incident at Clonoe are that: "No challenge was given; no person fired on the soldiers; automatic fire was used as well as aimed shots; one of the deceased was shot in the back whilst running away; and at least 514, and up to 570, rounds were fired by the soldiers."
Clancy was shot "whilst attempting to flee and then repeatedly whilst in a crouched or kneeling position on the ground." He died as a result of a gunshot wounds to the head and trunk. The fatal shots were fired by either Soldier B, D, F, or H.
O'Donnell was shot "in the back whilst attempting to flee and in the face whilst lying incapacitated on the ground." He died of gunshot wounds to the head and chest, and the fatal shots were fired by either Soldier F or Soldier H.
O'Farrell was shot "in the back whilst running away and then in the face whilst lying on the ground incapacitated." He died as a result of gunshot wounds to the head and trunk. He was killed by shots fired by Soldier H, having previously been shot and wounded by Soldier L.
Vincent was shot "whilst seated in the cab of the lorry and then when lying incapacitated across the seat of the lorry through its open doors." He died as a result of gunshot wounds to the chest. The fatal shots were fired by either Soldier B, C, or F.
"The use of lethal force was not justified at Clonoe on 16 February 1992," Justice Humphreys said in his verdict.
"Overwhelmed"
Speaking to the media after the verdict was handed down on Thursday, Marian Vincent, sister of victim Patrick Vincent, said: "We are completely overwhelmed.
"This has been a long, long, long process. The boys are dead 33 years next week. It has been the entirety of my life that this process has been ongoing.
"We're tired. It's hard to say you're delighted at a finding over your family member's death. We're overwhelmed and delighted with the result, but we're also very aware, at a huge expense to us as families."
When asked if the families believed the four men could have been arrested, Vincent said: "Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely.
"I don't know if 514 bullets are ever warranted, especially if you're saying that there potentially could have been an arrest.
"You don't go from an arrest situation to 514 bullets."
Niall Murphy of KRW Law, who was instructed by the family of Kevin Barry O’Donnell, said on Thursday: "The coroner has quite skillfully, exhaustively, summarized the facts.
"Anyone who sat through those months of hearings, the inescapable conclusion, the only conclusion, is the verdict which the judge has found today.
"An unambiguous finding that all four of the deceased were unlawfully killed.
"Whereas truth has been excavated and published today, justice has not. We are going to carefully consider this verdict with regards to any prospect of prosecutions."
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