Family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown applauded as they arrive at court

The family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown were applauded by a large crowd of supporters as they arrived at the Court of Appeal in Belfast for the latest hearing in their bid to secure a public inquiry into the killing.

Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald were among those who walked with the Brown family as they approached the court building.

The hearing will focus on the Government’s response to a court ruling that found it was acting unlawfully in failing to order a public inquiry.

On Wednesday, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn sought leave for a Supreme Court appeal in the case. The move has been heavily criticised by the Brown family and their supporters.

Mr Benn has not confirmed he ultimately intends to take the case to the Supreme Court, but applied for “protective leave” to appeal to the UK’s highest court if he believes that course of action to be “necessary”.

Mr Brown, 61, the chairman of Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club, was ambushed, kidnapped and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries as he locked the gates of the club in May 1997. No-one has ever been convicted of his killing.

Preliminary inquest proceedings last year heard that in excess of 25 people had been linked by intelligence to the murder, including several state agents.

It had also been alleged in court that surveillance of a suspect in the murder was temporarily stopped on the evening of the killing, only to resume again the following morning.