Brian Stack IRA murder: Outside force must probe Garda, says son

The family of Brian Stack is now also calling for “a full state apology” over how investigations into the murder were carried out over the intervening decades.

Mr Stack was chief prison officer in Portlaoise prison, which housed many IRA members in 1983, when he was shot by the terror group.

He died 18 months later from his injuries but nobody has been charged or convicted for the murder.

His family met Garda Commissioner Drew Harris last week to highlight what they believe were a string of shortcomings in how the Garda handled the case.

Mr Harris later apologised for “the failings and shortcomings in the investigation”.

Last week Mr Stack’s son, Austin, called on the Irish minister for justice to appoint an independent police expert to examine the issues.

The family also said they had been told a file would be sent to the director of public prosecutions, but do not believe it will result in prosecution.

But now the family have told the News Letter that they will be asking for a full state apology for the failings – and for an external police force to come in and review the case.

Austin said Mr Harris had “no difficulty” with their request about an outside force, which they hope will clarify their concerns about:

• How or why the material exhibit evidence went missing?

• Why certain suspects the Garda has stated are of relevance have not been interviewed?

• Why the lead suspect cannot be located despite intelligence from the family suggesting his location?

• Why critical intelligence provided by an informant in 1990 was not acted upon at the time and why this information was not provided to the current investigation team or the Serious Crime Review Team (Cold Case Unit) in 2007?

• Full details of 202 recommendations made by the Serious Crime Review Team about what should have been done in the first investigation;

• Has the Garda tried to find a senior member of the IRA who stated to gardai in an interview that he was in the National Stadium on the night of the murder? He was extradited back to the Republic three years ago to face other serious charges, but was not interviewed and subsequently jumped bail, Mr Stack said.

Mr Stack added: “The state apology would be quite powerful as it would officially recognise the wrongs that were done by the state in the investigations.”