Source: http://www.madden-finucane.com/english/cases/echr/2007november27_5.aspx
Timestamp: 2013-05-18 23:14:16
Document Index: 360811540

Matched Legal Cases: ['application no. 34575', 'application no. 32457', 'application no. 34622', 'application no. 34651', '§ 54', '§ 65', '§ 79', '§ 28', '§ 92']

Mr J. Casadevall, President, Sir Nicolas Bratza, Mr G. Bonello, Mr K. Traja, Mr S. Pavlovschi, Mr J. Šikuta, Mrs P. Hirvelä, judges, and Mr T.L.
18. Apparently around this time, the applicant stated that Chief Superintendent Gerry McCann of the Royal Ulster Constabulary ("RUC") initiated a meeting with a member of the Reavey family and told him that he believed that two McClures (one of whom was Laurence McClure, a former Reserve Constable in the RUC) and James Mitchell, also a former Reserve Constable, were involved in the attacks on the Reaveys as well as the attacks on Donnelly's Bar (19 December 1975- see
Brecknell v. the United Kingdom, no. 32457/04 ) and the Rock Bar (5 June 1976: see
McGrath v. the United Kingdom, no. 34651/04). He also named Robert McConnell (a former part time member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, the “UDR”) as the gunman who entered the house first. He said that one of the men was going to turn Queen's evidence if convicted of the Rock Bar attack, an apparent reference to Laurence McClure.
20. John Weir's statement made detailed allegations about security force collusion with loyalist paramilitaries in a series of incidents. He alleged
inter alia that RUC Reserve Constable Laurence McClure had told him that the murder of the Reavey family members was carried out by Robert McConnell, a member of the UDR, Laurence McClure, Johnny Mitchell, another Reserve Constable in the RUC and McClure's brother who was not a member of the security forces. The statement also made links between this incident and other attacks allegedly carried out by members of the security forces, both RUC and UDR, and loyalist paramilitaries. This group used the farmhouse in Glennane owned by James Mitchell, a RUC reservist, as a base from which to carry out attacks on Catholics and nationalists. Other attacks allegedly included the murder of Colm McCartney and Sean Farmer at a bogus vehicle checkpoint in August 1975 (see application no. 34575/04); the attack on Donnelly's Bar in which Trevor Brecknell, Michael Donnelly and Patrick Donnelly were killed (see application no. 32457/04); the murder of Joseph, Barry and Declan O'Dowd and wounding of Barney O'Dowd (see application no. 34622/04); and the attack on the Rock Bar in which Michael McGrath was seriously injured (see application no. 34651/04). Weir also linked these attacks to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in which 33 people were killed in the Republic of Ireland.
28. The parties' submissions repeat those made in the
Brecknell case (cited above, §§ 54-59, 60-64).
29. The Court refers to its statement of principles and analysis as set out in
Brecknell (cited above, §§ 65-81). For the same reasons it concludes that the investigative response to Weir's allegations lacked the requisite independence in its early stages when under the control of the RUC. There has been, in that respect alone, a violation of Article 2 of the Convention.
37. The Court recalls that only legal costs and expenses found to have been actually and necessarily incurred and which are reasonable as to quantum are recoverable under Article 41 of the Convention (see, among other authorities,
Nikolova v. Bulgaria [GC], no. 31195/96, 25 March 1999, § 79, and Smith and Grady v. the United Kingdom (just satisfaction), nos. 33985/96 and 33986/96, § 28, ECHR 2000-IX).
38. The Court has already awarded EUR 29,000 for solicitors' costs in the
Brecknell case (§ 92). Having regard to the fact that only the initial presentation of facts in this case required separate treatment from the lead application, it awards the applicant EUR 5,000, which figure is inclusive of VAT.
T.L. Early Josep
Casadevall Registrar President