Ombudsman probe into alleged police collusion in loyalist murders

The investigation will examine the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) shooting of prominent republican Sam Marshall in Lurgan, Co Armagh in 1990 and 20 other killings attributed to the terror group’s notorious mid Ulster gang around the same timeframe in the same general area.

Mr Marshall, 31, was shot minutes after he left Lurgan Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Station on March 7 1990.

The former prisoner was with his brother-in-law Tony McCaughey and high-profile republican Colin Duffy when they were targeted at Kilmaine Street.

Details of the planned Ombudsman’s investigation were outlined by a lawyer for the watchdog body during a preliminary inquest hearing in Belfast concerning Mr Marshall’s death.

The lawyer did not disclose details of the other cases which will be examined.

Mr Marshall, Mr McCaughey and Mr Duffy were all known to the security forces at the time of the murder.

An investigation by the police’s now defunct Historical Enquiries Team (HET) found no evidence of collusion with the suspected UVF gunmen and said police and soldiers had no prior knowledge of the attack.

It said undercover soldiers were deployed near the scene while their commander monitored events from a remote location.

The armed troops were in six cars, including a red Maestro. Two plain-clothed soldiers with camera equipment were in an observation post at the entrance to the police station as the three republicans, Mr Duffy, Mr Marshall and Mr McCaughey, arrived at the barracks as part of bail arrangements related to legal proceedings.

Two soldiers followed them on foot as they left and partially witnessed the shooting.

The killers’ two guns were never recovered but were linked through ballistic tests to three other murders and an attempted murder.