Judge to complete 'collusion' probe next year

A British government-backed investigation into six controversial killings in Northern Ireland is almost a year ahead of schedule, it was revealed today.

Retired Canadian supreme court judge Peter Cory is probing Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane’s murder and five other cases at the centre of allegations that security forces on either side of the border colluded with paramilitary gunmen.

Relatives feared his recommendations may not be delivered within the two-year timeframe set when he started work in August.

But a spokesman for Mr Cory announced today: “We are now looking at finishing in autumn next year.”

Once his report is completed it will be up to the Dublin and London Governments to decide when it should be published.

The judge has already completed his assessment of the Finucane assassination after being given full access to police files gathered by Metropolitan Commissioner Sir John Stevens’ team.

Detectives have been investigating claims that police and military intelligence aided the Ulster Defence Association team who shot dead the solicitor at his home in February 1989.

Downing Street has pledged to launch full public inquiries into the killings if Mr Cory declares they are needed.

But it is understood his report is being kept under lock and key in Canada until he has finished work on the five other cases.

“When he looked at what was involved even two years seemed optimistic,” his spokesman said.

“But he has managed to go through the Pat Finucane material faster than expected because the Stevens team has been so helpful and their material is so well organised.”

The Finucane family today refused to comment on the judge’s work.

Mr Cory is now due in Belfast in the New Year to scrutinise the murders of loyalist terror chief Billy Wright and Catholic Robert Hamill.

Wright, leader of the Loyalist Volunteer Force, was shot dead by Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners inside the Maze jail in December 1997.

His father David insists the gunmen could not have carried out the strike without security force help.

Sources close to Mr Wright said he had been impressed by the judge’s grasp of the political significance of the shooting.

“When he met him David was surprised by his knowledge of Billy’s case,” one said.

“He has wasted no time getting to grips with it.”

The shooting came just months after Hamill, 25, was beaten to death by a loyalist mob in Portadown town centre.

Officers in a Royal Ulster Constabulary Land Rover parked yards from the attack failed to intervene, it was claimed.

After that Mr Cory plans to assess allegations that security forces were linked to the murder of lawyer Rosemary Nelson.

The mother of three died in a booby-trap car bomb attack at her home in Lurgan, Co Armagh in 1999 following claims she received death threats from police officers.

The judge will then probe the 1989 IRA murders of senior RUC officers Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan following a meeting with gardai south of the border.

Unionists claimed a security leak led the IRA to attack the pair as they returned to south Armagh from Dundalk.

The last case centres on the death of top Northern Ireland judge Lord Gibson and his wife in 1987.

They were blown up by an IRA landmine as they drove home from holiday to Co Down.

Lax security was again blamed for the attack.