New Troubles inquests ordered into five UVF murders

New inquests are to beryllium held into the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) murders of 5 Catholic men successful Mid-Ulster much than 30 years ago.

The determination was ordered by Attorney General Dame Brenda King, who took relationship of "deficiencies" successful the archetypal investigations and inquests.

Sean Anderson, Thomas Armstrong, Dwayne O'Donnell, Thomas Casey and Phelim McNally died successful 4 abstracted attacks.

Their families fishy soldiers were progressive successful the killings.

In a missive to their solicitor, the lawyer general's bureau stated determination was caller accusation not considered astatine the archetypal inquests.

That included quality "as to whether authorities agents/bodies played a relation successful the deaths" and "wider grounds suggestive of collusion".

Gavin Booth, the solicitor acting for the men's families, said the cases were linked "through suspects, geography and ballistics".

Under the government's Troubles bequest bill which is going done Parliament, inquests linked to the struggle indispensable scope a decision by May of adjacent year.

Those which person not reached that signifier volition beryllium ended.

Mr Booth said the cases needed to beryllium listed for proceeding "urgently".

He added: "We invited the determination of the lawyer wide to bid caller inquests into the cases.

"For excessively agelong these families person sought answers arsenic to what happened.

"New grounds raises superior questions, not lone astir the 8th Battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment, but besides the nonaccomplishment of the constabulary to prosecute these individuals."

Seventeen-year-old Mr O'Donnell, a subordinate of the IRA, was killed astatine Boyle's Bar successful Cappagh, County Tyrone, successful 1991.

Mr Armstrong, who was 52, died successful the aforesaid incident.

Mr McNally, 28, was murdered successful a weapon onslaught connected the location of his brother, a Sinn Féin councillor, adjacent Coagh, County Tyrone, successful 1988.

Mr Casey, 57, was changeable astatine a friend's location successful Cookstown, County Tyrone, successful 1990.

Mr Anderson, who was 32 and had served a situation condemnation for IRA offences, was killed down the instrumentality of his car successful Pomeroy, County Tyrone, successful 1991.