THE widows and the fiance of three men killed by a deranged policeman in Sinn
Fein offices in west Belfast 11 years ago were awarded substantial compensation
yesterday.
The men shot dead by RUC Constable Allen Moore (24), from Ballymena, who later
killed himself, were Michael O’Dwyer (21), Patrick Loughran (61) and Pat McBride
(40).
The compensation awards – the amounts were not disclosed – were made to Mr
O’Dwyer’s widow Eileen Shevlin and their two children, from west Belfast;
Barbara Loughran, also from west Belfast; and Bernadette McDaid, who was engaged
to Mr McBride, and their son Patrick, from the Ormeau area of south Belfast. The
awards were approved at a private hearing in the High Court in Belfast before Mr
Justice Kerr.
A solicitor from Madden and Finucane solicitors said his clients were relieved
that their long drawn out cases had eventually come to a conclusion.
“These families have borne their terrible grief and loss for over 11 years,” he
said.
“The cases involved a test action after the RUC chief constable sought to have
the claims struck out and it was only a Court of Appeal judgment that
established the right to seek compensation.”