THE FAMILY of a man shot dead by the British army at a Border checkpoint 20 years ago has welcomed an independent investigation challenging the official explanation of the killing.
Aidan McAnespie (23) was fatally injured as he walked towards Aughnacloy GAA club.
According to the British army, three shots were accidentally discharged by a soldier who was handling a general purpose machine gun (GPMG). It was claimed the soldier had wet hands and his finger accidentally slipped on to the trigger. However, an investigation by the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) has found that this explanation is “the least likely” of any offered.
“In the final analysis, the HET is of the view that, whatever the truth of the matter in this case, it is unlikely that the GPMG was discharged in the circumstances, or in the manner, described by [the soldier involved],” the report said.
The HET report highlighted a series of shortcomings in the official investigation. It referred to delays in the interviews of guardsman David Holden, the soldier at the centre of the controversy. It found that the scene was not examined by police until the next day, with no record of any forensic crime scene protection measures being introduced in the interim.
Relatives and friends of the dead man, speaking in Aughnacloy yesterday, greeted the inquiry by HET, a specialist police unit charged with reopening unsolved killings of The Troubles. They criticised the Garda and the Department of Justice for a “refusal” to see the findings of the Crowley report into the shooting. “Repeated approaches were made to the Garda and [the Department of] Justice by the Pat Finucane Centre and others – however, we have been refused.
“Many people in Monaghan and Tyrone co-operated with the gardaí at our request. But now we are not permitted to see the report even where we requested that a redacted version be made available, with all witnesses remaining anonymous.”
Una McCabe, a sister of the dead man, said: “We will continue in our fight to try to access [the Crowley report] but the Historical Enquiries Team weren’t even given full access. We as a family feel we have a right of access to that report and it is up to the Government to hand that over.”
Eilish McAnespie, another sister, said the HET report should be read by the British and Irish governments, the PSNI chief constable, the prosecution service, the ministry of defence and other relevant bodies. “Those in authority should at least have the decency to feel a sense of shame.”
The McAnespie family accepts the British army considered the dead man to have been an IRA suspect. Therefore, “his movements were observed and recorded by the soldiers at the checkpoint”.
The victim worked at a poultry farm in Monaghan, about 12 miles south of Aughnacloy, and played football at the GAA club close to the checkpoint, passing through it several times per week.
“He had made numerous complaints to the RUC about the harassment and had raised this in the media,” they said. “In the minutes before the shooting there is incontrovertible evidence that he was being tracked as he walked through the checkpoint.”