McGuinness denies McCabe claims

Sinn Féin presidential candidate Martin McGuinness has rejected claims made by the family of Det Gda Jerry McCabe over his murder in in Limerick in 1996.

Det Gda McCabe's widow Anne claimed last night that Mr McGuinness was aware of the whereabouts of two named IRA members she said were still being sought for her husband's murder.

She also claimed the Sinn Féin candidate met Kevin Walsh, who served 10½ years for his role in the June 1996 shooting in Adare, while he was still on the run.

Mr McGuinness said today he "totally rejected" the claims and insisted there was no truth to the story.

Describing the killing as unjustifiable, Mr McGuinness said he condemned it unreservedly.

"A grave wrong was done to the McCabe family and the IRA have acknowledged that and apologised for it," the Sinn Féin candidate said in a statement issued this afternoon. "I have never and would never stand over attacks on members of the defence forces or the gardaí.

“For the record I did not meet with Kevin Walsh in aftermath of the killing of Garda McCabe and I have no information about the whereabouts of any other suspects or if indeed there are any other suspects."

Mr McGuinness was responding to claims made in a statement issued by the McCabe family last night.

Det Gda McCabe was shot three times as he sat in an unmarked Garda car while providing an armed escort for an SDS van delivering cash for social welfare payments.

A second garda, Det Gda O’Sullivan, who was in the car with Det Gda McCabe, suffered gunshot and shrapnel wounds to his face, arms, chest and legs. Their car was rammed from behind before 14 shots were fired by the gang, who were armed with Kalashnikov rifles.

“We know that the Garda Síochána believe that Martin McGuinness visited Kevin Walsh while he was hiding in a safe house in Co Cavan," the McCabe family claimed in their statement.

The statement said the family does not believe this to be a matter "that can be ignored and brushed aside in the interests of peace" and called on Mr McGuinness' fellow candidates to demand that he co-operate with investigations into "terrorist crimes that claimed the lives of servants of this Republic".

Mr McGuinness said the claim first appeared some years ago and that he had refuted it then "in the strongest possible terms".

The family asked: "If Martin McGuinness cannot or will not assist the authorities with its investigations into the murders of police officers, soldiers and prison officer how can we expect the rule of law to prevail under his Presidency?

"This is a moment of truth for all of us", the statement added.

Four Provisional IRA members, including Strabane man Pearse McCauley and Limerick man Walsh, were convicted of the attack.

McCauley and Walsh were sentenced to 14 years in 1999 for manslaughter. With remission they were due to serve 10½ years. They were released from Castlereagh in August 2009.

Another gang member, Jeremiah Sheehy, was released in 2008, while Michael O’Neill, who was also convicted of manslaughter, left prison in 2007.