Police 'failed to disrupt Johnny Adair plans' in advance of deadly attack, High Court told
Police allegedly failed to disrupt former loyalist terror chief Johnny Adair’s murderous plans in advance of the killing of two Catholic council workers, the High Court has been told.
Counsel for one victim’s son questioned why there was no apparent surveillance of Adair and his notorious paramilitary unit before the gun attack in west Belfast 30 years ago.
James Cameron, 54, and Mark Rodgers, 28, were shot dead at their Kennedy Way work depot in October 1993.
Several others were wounded in an attack carried out by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF).
The shootings occurred three days after nine people died in the IRA’s notorious Shankill Road bombing.
Amid suspected security force collusion with the loyalist gunmen, Colm Cameron is challenging the independence of a PSNI’s Legacy Investigation Branch probe into his father’s murder.
Mr Cameron is also taking legal action against the Police Ombudsman for alleged delays in dealing with a complaint about the case lodged back in 2008.
He claims the authorities have violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The court heard the council workers were killed at a time when there was known to be a heightened risk against Catholic members of the community.
Hugh Southey KC, for Mr Cameron, cited material contained in a book which indicated the potential involvement of the UFF’s C Company, then commanded by Adair.
“There’s a reference to Mr Adair allegedly having said he was going to plan a mass murder in the days before (the shootings),” he said.
“That raises the issue of why there was apparently no surveillance of Mr Adair.”
Amid raised tensions and threat level at that time, it was contended that the Kennedy Way depot was an obvious target because of its Catholic workforce.
But according to Mr Southey, a vehicle checkpoint had been stood down an hour before the gunmen arrived without any proper explanation.
“There is no indication at all that Kennedy Way was protected,” the barrister submitted.
“(Mr Cameron) says he was told that the ring of steel was missing on that day.”
In 1995 Adair, nicknamed “Mad Dog”, was convicted of directing terrorism and sentenced to 16 years in prison, only to be released early as part of the Good Friday Agreement.
An internal power struggle eventually led to him being ousted and expelled from the paramilitary organisation in 2002.
It was contended, however, that there were suggestions he received “assistance from security forces” during his time in charge of C Company.
Mr Southey also argued that the gun used to kill the council workers may have been part of an arsenal of rifles smuggled into Northern Ireland by the security force agent Brian Nelson.
“There are issues of police failures, the importation of the weapons, the failure to disrupt the UFF and Mr Adair, the failure to protect Kennedy Way, and whether the UFF was alerted to the absence of a checkpoint,” he claimed.
“These issues haven’t been addressed by anyone at any stage in the investigation.”
Counsel for the police stressed there had been no specific threat against the murdered council workers.
The court also heard that no decision was taken to withdraw any surveillance in operation at the time.
Reserving his judgment in the challenge, Mr Justice Humphreys pledged: “There are significant interests at play… I will deliver it as soon as I possibly can.”
Following the hearing Mr Camerson’s solicitor, Kevin Winters, said: “This is a big day for the families of those killed at Kennedy Way, and all survivors, in their quest to get some answers.”
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