Dates for security vetting hearing in policeman murder inquest ‘sacrosanct’

The dates for a hearing to consider a police application to redact files related to the inquest into the death of a murdered policeman must be treated as “sacrosanct”, a coroner has said.

Patrick McGurgan said if the Public Interest Immunity (PII) hearing into the death of Sergeant Joseph Campbell did not proceed as scheduled during the week starting October 19, then it would be several months before it could be held.

Sgt Campbell was shot dead outside Cushendall RUC station in February 1977.

Mr Campbell’s family believe elements of the security forces colluded with UVF killer Robin Jackson, who is now dead, to shoot Mr Campbell, 49, a father of eight.

It has been alleged that Mr Campbell, a Catholic officer originally from the Republic of Ireland, was potentially targeted because he had uncovered a loyalist arms-smuggling operation.

A second inquest into the shooting, which the officer’s family long campaigned for, has already been hit by delays.

Last year it emerged that the process of security vetting and disclosing police files to the coroner was to face a six-month delay because of PSNI researchers being redeployed to preparatory work for the public inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing.

The process has since resumed and legal representatives are now preparing for a PII hearing, during which Mr McGurgan will assess whether to accept a PSNI application to withhold certain evidence from the inquest on the grounds of national security.

During a preliminary hearing on Friday, Karen Quinlivan KC, representing the Campbell family, highlighted that the case had already seen “significant slippage” over timelines.

“It seems to me that we have to set that date in stone,” she said of the PII hearing.

“Everyone has to work on the basis that those hearings will proceed – you know and I know that if those dates have to adjourn, they won’t adjourn by two or three days, it’ll be much more significant.

“So it just seems to us that the PSNI need to be told that this timetable must be adhered to.”

Peter Coll KC, representing the PSNI, made clear that the police were on track to meet the dates.

“I’ve no reason to say to you that that’s not feasible,” he told the coroner.

Mr McGurgan stressed the need to keep to the scheduled dates, as he highlighted that his diary was already full for several months afterwards.

“This is not to put any scaremongering, but if this does not meet its deadline in October, I have listed trials right through now until the end of February of next year, so those dates have to be sacrosanct.”

The next preliminary hearing has been listed for September 10.