Relatives of loyalist shooting victims hope inquests can resume this year

Lawyers for relatives of four people murdered in two loyalist attacks in Co Tyrone have expressed hope that inquests into the deaths can resume later this year.

It came as a barrister for the PSNI told a hearing at Laganside Courthouse in Belfast that a timescale for disclosure of police material around the deaths was “not feasible”.

Kevin McKearney, 32, was shot dead by a UVF gunman inside his family-run butcher shop in the village of Moy, Co Tyrone, in January 1992.

His uncle Jack McKearney, 69, was wounded in the same attack and died in hospital three months later.

Later that year, Kevin McKearney’s mother-in-law and father-in-law, Charlie and Tess Fox – who were 63 and 54 respectively – were shot dead by the UVF inside their home in Moy.

The long-delayed inquests into the four deaths, being heard by coroner judge Richard Greene KC, opened earlier this year and are scheduled to resume on December 4.

The inquests are being heard together due to apparent linkages between the suspects and weapons involved in the two shooting attacks.

During a review hearing, counsel for the coroner Fiona Doherty KC updated the court on the disclosure process.

She said Ministry of Defence (MoD) sensitive material on both attacks had been received.

Ms Doherty added that in relation to the Fox case, 46 folders of non-sensitive material had been received.

Peter Coll KC, representing the MoD and PSNI, told the court that a September 1 date for the completion of the disclosure process by police could not be met.

He said: “The instructions I have from the PSNI is that that timescale will not be feasible for the PSNI to meet.”

Mr Coll added: “I think it is incumbent on me to reiterate the fact that my client is not going to be able to meet the timescale in these cases, particularly in relation to the Fox case.

“In relation to sensitive material alone in McKearney, those who instruct me consider it is more likely to be late October/November before that process would be ready for PII hearing.

“In the Fox case, at a real push, the sensitive process would probably take until the end of December this year.

“I appreciate that does not fit with the timescale which has been set for September but I am afraid all I can do is say that those are my instructions that they simply cannot meet that timescale.”

Coroner Mr Greene said: “The timetable for the recommencement of the inquest was set entirely on the information that was available to me at the last hearing of these inquests.”

Lawyers for a number of family members told the court that their clients were keen that the December date should not lapse.

Des Fahy KC, representing some of the next-of-kin, said: “Can I ask that everything be done to keep that December date for as meaningful a hearing as we can have.

“We are all conscious of the fact that if we lose that date, availability of court time to have a meaningful conclusion of this inquest is likely to be late into the following year, and that is in nobody’s interests.”

A date was set for another review hearing on June 28.