Match Of The Day theme was prelude to traumatic murder

Thomas Larkham, a 61-year-old father of two, has struggled to live with his memory of the night of April 23, 1977 when his friend Patrick Devlin was shot dead by a UVF gunman as he stood beside him.
Tommy Larkham, who witnessed the shooting of his friend Patrick Devlin in 1977Tommy Larkham, who witnessed the shooting of his friend Patrick Devlin in 1977
Tommy Larkham, who witnessed the shooting of his friend Patrick Devlin in 1977

“The Legahory Inn was my local bar. Paddy was doorman there. I’m a Man City fan. Paddy supported Man Utd. There was a big age gap between us – I was only 21, Paddy was 72 – but we had football in common. On Saturday night I’d always buy him a bottle of Guinness,” Thomas recalled.

“On the night he was killed, we were standing there waiting for Match Of The Day to come on. The theme tune came on and then a silence fell over the pub.

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“Paddy was on my left hand side. These two men were standing on my right hand side, hooded up, threatening everyone in the pub. Paddy reached across me and lifted the fella’s mask. As soon as he did that the fella came right across my chest and shot Paddy in the middle of the head.

“The other fella sprayed the bar with a machine gun. It all happened in slow motion. They sped off on a motorbike. I got down beside Paddy. I knew he was dead. The bar had been packed that night. It was pandemonium.

“After it happened I went to the doctor and he said to my mother, ‘he’s young, he’ll forget about it, he’ll be fine’.

“I took me a while to build up my confidence again. I’d seen their faces and I was worried they’d come for me.

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“As life went on I got back to work, I buried it and tried to forget about it. One night I was watching a Panaroma programme about the Hungerford massacre and this person got shot in the head and it came flooding back like a steam train. That was my first panic attack.

“Ever since then I’ve struggled. I was diagnosed with PTSD. I know now that I’d been suffering from survivor’s guilt – asking why didn’t I push the gun away and save Paddy.

“Wave Trauma Centre has been a very important part of my life. You’re talking to other people involved in the Troubles so you don’t feel alone. I remember the first session with them. I didn’t say a word, I just cried the whole hour.

“I can never forget what happened that night to Paddy, but you learn to live with it.

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“We are the silent victims. We didn’t get killed or injured or lost family members but we saw our friends die.

“I know there’s many others like me and it’s very, very hard to cope with.”

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