Labour seeks inquiry into police collusion in murder

The Government should press for an international inquiry into RUC collusion in the murder of a young loyalist man in the North seven years, the Labour Party argued yesterday.

Party leader Pat Rabbitte raised the case of 22-year-old Raymond McCord, who was battered to death by a loyalist paramilitary gang. It was the first time that a case involving allegations of collusion into the death of a loyalist has been raised in the Dáil.

Mr McCord’s father, also Raymond, and other members of his families were in the visitors’ gallery as Mr Rabbitte spoke during the adjournment debate.

Mr Rabbitte outlined the circumstances leading up to Mr McCord’s murder and the campaign of intimidation and violence from the UDA that his father has been subjected to since.

Mr Rabbitte said Raymond McCord had become briefly involved with Mount Vernon UVF, under the command of Mark Haddock, in order to seek protection from the rival loyalist organisation, the UDA.

“In November 1997, he was battered to death and his body was dumped in a quarry.

According to his father, Mount Vernon UVF murdered Raymond McCord because he had been summoned by John Bunter Graham, the officer commanding the UVF on the Shankill Road, to account for his role in ferrying drugs for Mark Haddock.

“He was murdered to prevent Graham finding out about Haddock’s unsanctioned drugs operations,” said Mr Rabbitte.

He went on to say that at least two gang members who murdered Mr McCord were Special Branch informers: Mark Haddock and John Bond. He said that Mr Haddock was originally handled by Johnston Brown, a CID officer in the RUC.

He said Special Branch later took over the handling of informers.

Mr Rabbitte listed the murders Mr Haddock has been associated with: Sharon McKenna, a Catholic shot dead in 1993; Gary Convie and Eamon Fox, Catholics shot dead on a building site in 1994; Thomas Sheppard, an alleged informer killed in 1996; Rev David Templeton, beaten to death in 1997; Billy Harbinson; Tommy English; and David Greer, the latter shot during a loyalist feud in 2000.

Said Mr Rabbitte: “The central allegation is that Haddock was not charged with any crime because he was an informer who had to be protected. He was able to act with impunity, while the police effectively colluded in his crimes.”

Mr Rabbitte called on the Government to insist on an inquiry. “I believer our commitment (should extend to) victims on the other side of the divide in Northern Ireland where allegations of police collusion are made,” he said.