Murdered protestant was former loyalist paramilitary prisoner

A protestant shot dead by republican gunmen in front of his catholic girlfriend in Northern Ireland was a former loyalist paramilitary prisoner, it was disclosed today.

Charles Folliard, 30, was assassinated as he sat in his car outside his girlfriend's home in Strabane, Co Tyrone.

Police blamed republicans for the shooting but said they could not yet identify which faction was involved.

Mr Folliard, from the neighbouring village of Douglas Bridge, who served seven years in jail for his part in a bobby trap bomb attack linked to the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), was hit at least three times.

The murder happened just hours after Sinn Fein’s ruling executive backed the IRA’s decision to put some of their weapons beyond use.

Derek Hussey, an Ulster Unionist member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, who knew the dead man said: ‘‘Given that republicans were the source, it makes one wonder.

‘‘Are there individuals within mainstream republicanism who are having difficulties with the political line taken by the movement?’’

Mr Folliard was shot from close range.

The killers struck as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car, and his girlfriend was standing outside the house, by the car, waving goodbye.

Two masked men pushed the 16-year-old girlfriend to one side, then one of them fired three shots into Mr Folliard before moving to the front of the car in Oakland Park to fire another three.

The two men then ran off down a laneway and into the nearby republican Ballycolman estate.

Mr Folliard was freed from prison a few years ago, and according to friends had cut all his paramilitary links.

One said: ‘‘He just wanted to get on with his life, and put the past behind.’’

RUC district commander Superintendent Clifford Best said Mr Folliard, who was dead on arrival at Altnagelvin Hospital, Derry, was executed.

Mr Best said: ‘‘There is nothing to suggest at this stage that the Provisional IRA was involved. But we’re pretty confident republicans were involved. It was a very professional job.’’

Mr Folliard’s girlfriend was unhurt.

A brother of Mr Folliard, a soldier in the then Ulster Defence Regiment, was critically injured when an IRA bomb exploded under his car some years ago.

Ivan Barr, the Sinn Fein chairman of Strabane District Council, said he was horrified by the killing.

‘‘Obviously it will create a perception, whether it’s the case or not, that this was sectarian,’’ he said

Mr Folliard lived outside Strabane.