Pat Finucane murder review to be released

Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, shot dead in front of his family in his home in 1989.

A major review into the one of the most controversial murders of the Northern Ireland 'Troubles' was handed to the Prime Minister on Tuesday evening and will be released today.

Catholic solicitor Pat Finucane was shot dead in his home in north Belfast, in 1989.

Loyalist UDA/UFF gunmen used sledgehammers to burst into his house before shooting him 14 times as he sat down to his Sunday dinner with his wife and young children. It has since emerged that the gunmen colluded with official British security services to carry out the murder.

Geraldine Finucane, also injured in the attack, has vowed to keep up her campaign for a full public inquiry into the killing of her husband. ITV News Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen reports:

The Prime Minister will make a formal statement on the death tomorrow, after the review, carried out by Sir Desmond de Silva, is published.

The review is expected to reveal the extent of the collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and British security services.

The Finucane family have travelled to London for the release, but they are clear they do not think the review will go far enough.

Members of the UFF/UDA who took responsibility for the killing had close links with British security forces:

  • Ken Barrett, who admitted killing Mr Finucane, became a special branch informant soon after

  • William Stobie, who supplied the guns was also a special branch informant at the time of the killing

  • Brian Nelson, who supplied the targeting information was an army intelligence agent

Geraldine Finucane told ITV News she does not expect tomorrow's review to tell her anything she does not already know. She said:

Retired RUC officer Alan Simpson attended the scene after the shooting. He told ITV News he believes there was a cover-up that involved senior members of the British state.