NI: Belfast court told inquest into Loughgall ambush likely to proceed
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An inquest into whether soldiers acted proportionately in the Loughgall ambush in 1987 is likely to move forward, Belfast Magistrates’ Court has heard.
A barrister for the Ministry of Defence and the PSNI told the court that he now had a list of the names of the soldiers in Loughgall on that day.
Lord Justice Weir, the presiding judge of the Coroners’ Court, was told that the families of eight IRA men and one civilian killed during the ambush had waited 29 years for the inquest.
The eight paramilitary men were killed while mounting a bomb attack on a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) station.
Peter Corrigan, partner at KRW Law, told the court that the SAS decision to open fire was excessive and they could have been arrested before the ambush because of intelligence held by the MoD.
Mr Corrigan said an inquest was necessary so that members of the public could “have confidence that the state are properly investigating controversial murders like this case”.
He added: “It flies in the face of expedition and promptness that we still don’t have a date set for an inquest.”
Lord Weir will continue his two-week review of 56 legacy cases.
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