Murdered Derry Real IRA man Kieran Doherty
Real IRA member Kieran Doherty, 31, was found dead on the Braehead Road in Derry close to the Donegal border on February 24, 2010.
He had been kidnapped, stripped, bound and shot.
The Real IRA claimed responsibility for his brutal murder.
The RIRA believed he had been working as a British agent, a claim strongly denied by his family and close friends.
In the weeks before his death, Mr Doherty claimed MI5 attempted to recruit him as an agent and his family raised concerns that the UK Security Services could have played a role in his death.
A number of preliminary hearings have taken place ahead of a full inquest into his death, however those involved are waiting for information from An Garda Siochana and Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO).
A preliminary hearing, today, Tuesday, heard a letter dated April 7 had been received from the CSSO which “sets out a procedure” under the 2019 International Co-operation Act around a request for witness evidence.
Counsel to Coroner Brian Sherrard, described it as a “matter of concern”.
“It is not witnesses that you are seeking but material.
“There has been quite a long history of your office corresponding and interacting with the CSSO, seeking material, and it may be something of a surprise that we’ve received this letter, framed as it is, as a request for witness evidence without specifically referring to material, and there had been ongoing correspondence about the supply of material,” said counsel.
Stephen Toal KC, counsel for the Doherty family, said they feel they are back to square one with the last seven-and-a-half years having been wasted.
He said the coroner’s office can’t be faulted having first contacted the Irish authorities about the case in 2017, and having “done everything to bring it to this point”.
“However, seven-and-a-half years have now been wasted and after all that time the Irish state is still silent on what information they hold,” said Mr Toal.
“It’s unfortunate to say this, but it is either incompetence or it is deliberate and it follows a familiar pattern to all of us who deal with cases in this area.”
Mr Toal referred to ongoing delays in inquests relating to Sean Brown and the Dublin Monaghan bombings.
Coroner Sherrard said he would write to the Republic’s CSSO to respond in writing and invite it to send a representative to the next preliminary hearing on Wednesday, May 7.
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