‘Decades of Deceit: The Stalker Affair and its Legacy’ launched in Derry

Author Paddy Hillyard has Derry launched his new book ‘Decades of Deceit: The Stalker Affair and its Legacy’ in the Museum of Free Derry.

The Saturday afternoon event took the form of a conversation between himself and Bill Rolston, emeritus professor of the Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University.

A rapt audience listened as the two men discussed the events around the eponymous Stalker Inquiry and its subsequent fallout. 

In 1984, John Stalker, then Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, began an investigation into the shootings of alleged members of the IRA by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. 

Stalker was removed from the Inquiry in 1986 as a result of false accusations made about his friend, Manchester businessman Kevin Taylor.  

All welcome to the #Derry Book Launch of #DecadesofDeceit - The Stalker Affair & its Legacy by #PaddyHillyard published by @BooksBtp with #BillRolston. Guest speaker #PaulOConnor @FinucaneCentre in @MuseumFreeDerry Sat 9 Nov 1pm. Signed copies from @LittleAcornsBks after event pic.twitter.com/8UvBMz5Oje

— Little Acorns Bookstore (@LittleAcornsBks) November 6, 2024

Speaking to The Derry News, Mr Hillyard, who is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Queen’s University, Belfast, said he had never believed the “official line” there was “just a coincidence of events between Manchester and Belfast”.

“Taylor brought a civil action against Greater Manchester Police for malicious prosecution. He had been charged with fraud but the trial had collapsed and in 1995, he was awarded £2.4 million in compensation. Although Greater Manchester Police did not accept any responsibility, it agreed to the settlement,” said Mr Hillyard. 

“I then got to know Kevin Taylor because I was still fascinated by the story. How somebody like Stalker could be so easliy removed from a very important investigation. 

“He gave me access to his criminal trial and civil action transcripts, which I then analyised very, very carefully. One of the things I discovered was a document used in June 1984 to suggest Stalker was associating with Taylor and Taylor was a member of the Quality Street Gang [an alleged Manchester crime gang] was a forgery. The first part of the book analyses in detail all of that information. 

Family of Derry man shot dead by British army accepted “significant” financial settlement in respect of their uncle's death

Billy McGreanery was killed by a member of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards in Derry on September 14, 1971

Sean Brown’s family await outcome of judicial review on public inquiry into his murder

‘Murder of a GAA Chairman’ documentary screened to capacity audience in Derry

“The legacy aspect of it was that Stalker obviously discovered the MI5 counterinsurgency strategy which was put in place in 1981, in secret, by Sir Patrick Walker  - director general of MI5 from 1988 to 1992. 

“That transformed policing fundamentally from the detection and prosecution of crime to a system based on intelligence. Intelligence became the principal driving force of everything from then on. The police and the army were encouraged to get as many informers in the paramilitary organisations as possible. They recruited informers wherever they could in order to supply intelligence,” said Paddy Hillyard. 

According to Mr Hillyard, Sir Desmond de Silva, who conducted a desktop review into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane, discovered there was “no legal framework for running informers”.

He added: “What you have running through from 1981 right the way through until the end of the conflict was a counterinsurgency strategy which was not based on the rule of law.

“What you then have, of course is, when Stalker and [Colin] Sampson, who subsequently replaced Stalker, recommended various police officers should be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice, the Attorney General said that wasn’t in the national interest. 

“Then in 1989 you have the murder of a law officer of the crown, Pat Finucane, and it was then disclosed that two informers were involved in his murder. Then subsequently MI5, which I discovered, wanted to recruit another person who was involved in that murder after all these events had taken place. 

Paul O'Connor (Pat Finucane Centre) with from left, Bill Roulston, Paddy Hillyard (author), at the launch of his book 'Decades of Deceit - The Stalker Affair and it's Legacy' held in the Museum of Free Derry. On right is Adrian Kerr, Manager, Museum of Free Derry. 

“What you have and what my central argument in the book is, Stalker’s discovery of the MI5 strategy had to be kept secret at all costs. As a result of that it has meant the people who devised the strategy, the high ups in MI5 and the British Government are never going to be prosecuted for malfeasance in public office.

“Also, a number of people who were involved in handling informers in all this period, are never going to be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice because they knew that people were allowed to commit murder with impunity.”

A section of the audience at the book launch.

It was Paddy Hillyard’s thesis Stalker was removed from the shoot-to-kill inquiry because he was making too many demands for access to the ‘hayshed tape’ and information about informers. 

Michael Tighe (17) was shot dead and Martin mcCauley (19) was seriously injured when RUC officers opened fire on a County Armagh hayshed in Novemebr 1992. It emerged MI5 had a device hidden inside the hayshed.

‘Decades of Deceit: The Stalker Affair and its Legacy’ is published by Beyond the Pale Books and costs £20.