SAS Shooting of Four IRA Men in 1992 Ruled Unjustified

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An inquest has determined that the use of lethal force by SAS soldiers in the 1992 ambush that killed four IRA members in Clonoe, County Tyrone, was unjustified. Kevin Barry O'Donnell, 21, Sean O'Farrell, 22, Peter Clancy, 21, and Patrick Vincent, 20, were shot dead minutes after carrying out a gun attack on Coalisland police station.  

 

The men had arrived at St Patrick’s Church car park in a hijacked lorry fitted with a heavy machine gun welded to the tailgate when SAS soldiers, who had been lying in wait behind a hedgerow, opened fire. Security forces had intelligence that the car park would be used, and 12 soldiers were in position before the men arrived.  

 

 

Following the ruling, Downing Street stated, "Addressing the issues of the past must be done in a way that commands the support of families, survivors and, importantly, the families of those killed serving the state." A spokesperson added that "any veteran who served during the Troubles is provided legal support where appropriate."  

 

 

The IRA unit had fired 60 shots at Coalisland police station about 20 minutes before they were killed, though no one was injured in the attack. When the lorry drove into the car park, SAS soldiers opened fire without warning, discharging more than 500 rounds. The soldiers later stated that their actions were justified to protect their own lives and those of their colleagues.  

 

 

However, coroner Mr Justice Michael Humphreys ruled that the use of lethal force "cannot have been reasonable," noting that there was no attempt to arrest the men, even after they were wounded. He stated that the soldiers would have known the IRA members would need to dismount the machine gun, which would have improved the possibility of an arrest. "The operation was not planned and controlled in such a way as to minimise to the greatest extent possible the need for recourse to lethal force," he said.  

 

Mr Justice Humphreys also criticised state agencies for "perpetuating falsehoods" about the incident, as it had been described at the time as a gun battle, despite the IRA men not having fired on the soldiers. A Ministry of Defence document even referred to the operation as "an excellent security forces success."  

 

Solicitor Niall Murphy responded to the ruling by saying, "Anyone who sat through those months of hearings, the inescapable conclusion, the only conclusion is the verdict the judge has found today." He added, "Whereas truth has been excavated and published today, justice has not." Murphy indicated that legal options would be considered, stating, "We're going to carefully consider this verdict with regards to any prospect of prosecutions."  

Speaking to BBC News NI, Murphy suggested that "the families will expect a file to be prepared for submission to the Public Prosecution Service." Sinn Féin MP Cathal Mallaghan welcomed the decision, calling on the British government to "fully repeal and replace the Legacy Act." He said the ruling "confirms what many in our community knew for a long time; that these four men were executed by the SAS without justification."  

 

However, Ulster Unionist Party justice spokesperson Doug Beattie dismissed the ruling, calling it "ludicrous." He argued, "Instead of dead police officers, civilians and lawful military personnel, four PIRA terrorists were killed. It is ludicrous to say that the shooting was unjustified."

 

Based on a report by BBC 2025-02-08

 

 

[ukrules]

This is an outrage. Every one of those terrorist <deleted>bags deserved to burn.

[rocketboy2]

The lads went there in that truck to kill people.

But they died instead.

Oh dear never mind.