Dennis Heaney received RUC death threats weeks before his murder

Dennis Heaney was only 21 years old when he was shot dead at the bottom of Derry’s Harvey Street by British undercover soldiers.

Dennis, who had received a death threat from RUC Special Branch officers three weeks earlier, on his release from Strand Road barracks, was assassinated on June 10, 1978.

As he was leaving the barracks following a three-day arrest, a Special Branch detective told Dennis: “When we get our chance, we’ll ******* stiff you.”

Speaking to Derry Now, Dennis’ sister Stella, who narrated his ‘British Legal Impunity’ film, along with her brother, Bernard, said initially the family had had “mixed feelings” about taking part in the project.

“When the family was approached by the Pat Finucane Centre (PFC) about making this short film account about our brother Dennis we had mixed feelings whether to be involved in this project or not,” said Stella.

“Dennis’ violent death has had a huge traumatic effect on every member of the family since the day he was killed.

“We feel it is also very important to continue to highlight his killing, particularly now that the British Government is planning to shut down all investigations into the deaths of loved ones by introducing  The Troubles Legacy Bill.

“Dennis was only 21 years old when he was shot dead at the bottom of Harvey Street by British undercover soldiers. It was extremely difficult to revisit that awful day but equally it was very important that his story was told and how his death affected our family at that time and right up to this day.”

“On June 10, 1978, Dennis was shot and wounded by British undercover soldiers in Harvey Street. As he lay helpless on the ground, he was then shot in the back several times by a British soldier. There was no attempt to arrest Dennis.”

Stella said the Heaney family believed Dennis’ “brutal killing” was part of the British Government’s “shoot-to-kill” policy introduced by British Secretary of State, Roy Mason in 1977.

Taking part in the ‘British Legal Impunity: The stories of women, men and children killed by the British army and RUC’ project has been very painful and emotional for us,” she said.

“Dennis’ death 45 years ago completely changed the lives of all our family. He had three brothers and nine sisters. Sadly, our parents, Eilis and Denis, have died, never knowing the truth about the brutal killing of their son. My daddy died at 63 and it was really from a broken heart. However, as a family, we will continue to pursue the truth into the circumstances of Dennis’ death, which we believe was a planned assassination.

“At the launch on Saturday, it was extremely upsetting to hear the harrowing stories from the other families talking about the devastating deaths of their loved ones. It reinforced the importance for us and all families to seek the truth and justice no matter how long it takes.”

Stella added that nobody deserved to be killed in such a brutal way.

“What we want to know as a family,” she said, “is who sanctioned Dennis’ killing and why there was a Special Branch death threat made to him shortly before he was murdered?

“As my brother Bernard said in the film, ‘It is just a shame really that those in power hold onto information and hold onto it in such a vindictive way. They have already killed our brother Dennis, now they want to punish us forever and ever and ever. That’s what they do.’”