Relatives for Justice CEO, Mark Thompson, this morning attended the Belfast High Court with Michael Monaghan Junior, his parents and siblings for judgment in his civil action against the PSNI Chief Constable in respect to the murder of his grandfather Sean McParland in 1994 by the Mount Vernon UVF.
KRW Law represent Michael and issued civil proceedings for him and his siblings, his mother Sinead and Mr McParland’s widow. These latter civil actions remain outstanding.
Following today’s judgment Mark Thompson said:
“As Chief Constable and the principle defendant in numerous civil litigation claims by the deceased relatives of victims of RUC collusion Simon Byrne needs to reflect on the harm and damage he is continuing to cause to surviving relatives and victims.
“In robustly seeking to defend these cases the Chief Constable is effectively putting families through what can only be described as years of living hell.
“Irrefutable evidence of collusion and illegal actions of RUC special branch exist and have been well established in many of these cases yet Simon Byrne continues to defend these civil actions regardless of the traumatic impact.
“His actions are exacerbating the trauma of victims.
“Today Justice Rooney delivered a scathing judgment against the Chief Constable in the case of Michael Monaghan junior in which he also awarded damages.
“Michael, aged 9 in 1994, witnessed the murder of his grandfather Sean McParland. Mr McParland was babysitting Michael and his three younger siblings, who also witnessed the appalling sectarian murder.
“Michael, who suffers from severe PTSD and “survivor’s guilt” was grilled over several hours by lawyers for the Chief Constable during earlier hearings.
“17 years after Nuala O’Loan published Operation Ballast detailing the murder of Mr McParland and litany of criminal activity including nine other murders and a number of attempted murders, and three decades after the murder of Mr McParland, it is scandalous that this case and countless other civil actions against the Chief Constable remain outstanding.
“Defending these cases is tantamount to also defending the actions of special branch and the agents they paid tens of thousands of pounds to as they murdered and maimed people including Mr McParland.
“There needs to be an urgent review on how the office of the Chief Constable conducts matters regarding such cases and how it arrives at decisions to defend the indefensible whilst continuing to cause traumatic harm.
This is also a matter that should be a priority for the Policing Board.”ENDS
