Family of murder victim call for new inquest ahead of 30th anniversary of his death

The family of a man who was murdered by loyalists at his work 30 years ago are calling for a new inquest into his death.

Peter Gallagher was just 44 when he was killed as he arrived for his work near Distillery Street, off Grosvenor Road in West Belfast on March 24, 1993.

The construction worker, from Toomebridge, who had been a member of Sinn Féin in the area for many years, was shot by the UDA.

The father-of-seven had been working for Mascot Construction on Housing Executive accommodation at the time.

Moments after parking his van, he was opening storage spaces for equipment at around 8am when a gunman opened fire from bushes behind a fence bordering the Westlink carriageway.

He was hit ten times.

The gunman used a bicycle to escape along the nearby Westlink.

The 9 mm Browning pistol fired by the killer had been used a week earlier in another UDA/UFF shooting, and 24 hours before Mr Gallagher's murder, it had been used in an attack on the home of a Sinn Féin councillor.

No-one has ever been convicted of Mr Gallagher's murder, however his family believe the man who pulled the trigger was a prolific serial killer who has since passed away.

Now, with the 30th anniversary of his death approaching this weekend, his family have described the original RUC investigation into his death as a 'shambles'.

They say a new inquest could give them more answers into their beloved father and grandfather's murder.

Speaking to the County Derry Post last night, Peter's grandson Caolán McAleese said the family believe his grandfather was 'targeted by the British state'.

“Only on two occasions over 30 years did the RUC meet with our family. Less than a month after the murder, my uncle Seamus met two police officers from Grosvenor Road RUC Barracks, a couple hundred yards from the crime scene, at Cargin parochial house. They had little to no interest in his case and were essentially useless. The second occasion was when granny had to attend Toome RUC barracks to give them details about the family etc to begin the inquest in September 1994. The findings of the original inquest were disappointing for the family. It was a whitewash. The inquest simply dismissed his murder as ‘another random sectarian attack’,” said the Bellaghy man (pictured below).

“I read every word of it; it was a very painful experience. It lays out clearly the events of that morning based the original investigation by the RUC, sparing no details. We have come to the conclusion that our grandfather was indeed targeted by the British state. Rumours of collusion soon flowed after his murder. How else did the killer know my grandfather would have been there, at that exact time and alone? He had only opened the site at the time for a few days up until his murder. We have substantial evidence to prove he was being closely monitored by the RUC prior to his murder. A photo montage containing pictures of him were found discarded at a disused British Army barracks in County Down. More information has since been discovered which we cannot discuss. The inquest left us with more questions than answers.”

Caolán says the family feel they have no other option than to pursue legal action.

“My grandfather was one of 14 Sinn Féin members who were murdered in questionable circumstances by loyalist gangs since between 1989 and 1993. This was when loyalists ramped up their attacks on republicans at the behest of their shady British handlers,” continued Caolán.

“We feel a new inquest could give us more answers, only if the police are willing to help us. The PSNI continue to fight other families in the courts in other legacy cases. We have no other path left but a legal one and we are pursuing it.”

The family lodged a complaint with the Police Ombudsman's Office in 2019 however they are still waiting on a report into Peter's murder.

“The lack of investigation and the suspected British state collusion became the basis for our complaint to the Police Ombudsman’s Office,” continued Caolán.

“We remain hopeful for some positive news, we have already waited 30 years for any semblance of the truth or justice. But the door to the truth closes by the day as the British government intends on implementing their disastrous legacy bill. This bill will kill our case in its tracks and many other thousands of families with the stroke of a pen. This legacy bill is an affront to justice and is not supported by any family or victims organisation across the North. It cannot be allowed to pass.”

Despite never getting the opportunity to meet his late grandfather, Caolán says he was known as 'a gentle giant' by all who knew him.

“He is often referred to as ‘Big Peter’. He was exactly that, a big friendly man who wouldn’t or couldn’t harm a fly. He would’ve done anything for anybody. He lived for his family, for granny Bernie and their seven children and his first grandson Conor. He worked every hour he could to provide for his large close-knit family. I have met countless people who knew him and they have nothing put good words for him. It shows you how well thought of he was in Toome and beyond. We are proud to call this man our grandfather. As Fr Patrick O’Neill remarked during his eulogy at his funeral, ‘Peter Gallagher was a good man. He lived a life that was committed to his faith, to his parish and to his family He was a good man’. No better vindication of a man’s character.

“It warms our hearts to see how well he was thought of. I met a man once and I told him who I was and he said; ‘I’m honoured to meet a grandson of Peter Gallagher.’ He is certainly not forgotten by us his family, many friends, and the people of Toome and South Antrim.”

Well-known for doing the door and carpark at the old Arby’s Hotel in Toome, Peter's death had a profound impact on the Gallagher family.

Caolán continued: “It’s something you can never really get over. As granny said herself, she just had to get on with life and raise the three younger boys who were under 10 years of age at the time of his death. No doubt it was difficult for granny but she had great help with the older children, Uncle Seamus especially. Granny was a strong woman, resilient, and stoic to the end. She put her grief aside to focus on her family to ensure they turned out well.

“Although we never met our grandfather, he has always a part of our lives. He was always talked about by the family and those close to us. We too mourn the man we were robbed from meeting. We have to witness our parents grieving over their father, that impacts us too. We were told from an early age what happened to our grandfather and to be proud of him. Many of his grandsons bear the name Peter in his honour. No better man to be named after. He lives on with us in more than just name.”

Caolán says the family now remain committed to finding out the truth.

“We cannot thank Relatives For Justice enough; we are indebted to them for their constant support and stellar work they have done for us thus far. With their help, we lodged our complaint to the Police Ombudsman in 2019. They have supported us every step of the way along with our solicitor. We will push even harder for the truth as we sadly lost our granny Bernie two years ago on March 25th. She never had as much as a day in court let alone any semblance of justice or closure for her husband. Our fight is her fight too. She would want us to push on and fight for our grandfather. It’s been a long and painful journey but we are prepared to fight on. We certainly aren’t going anyway anytime soon and will pursue our case until we get our desired outcome,” he added.