Murdered man's family disappointed at appeal against inquiry

Sean Brown's daughter Siobhan Brown says their family will never give up their fight for truth over her father's killing

The family of murdered GAA official Sean Brown have expressed deep disappointment at a move by the government to appeal a ruling ordering the Northern Ireland secretary to set up a public inquiry into the killing.

Mr Brown, 61, was abducted by loyalists in Bellaghy, County Londonderry, and shot near Randalstown, County Antrim, in May 1997.

Last month, a High Court judge ordered a public inquiry after finding the UK government remained in breach of a human rights duty to examine the full extent of state collusion in the killing.

However, the Northern Ireland Office has confirmed that the government has now lodged a notice of appeal and is "seeking expedition" of the matter.

Sean Brown was abducted and murdered in 1997

Mr Brown's daughters, Clare Loughran and Siobhan Brown, have told BBC News NI that they are "incredibly disappointed" by the development.

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, Ms Loughran said it will not deter their family in their fight for answers.

"My mother is coming into her 88th year in 2025, and yet she has had very little information on why her husband was targeted," she said.

"We are incredibly disappointed and very cynical that this news has been released on New Year's Eve."

Ms Loughran said their family believed there would be "a different approach" to legacy and particularly how the government dealt with cases from the Troubles in Northern Ireland from the Labour Party, as opposed to the previous Conservative government.

"Since they [Labour] have come into power, this does not seem to be the case," she said.

The family of Sean Brown at a previous court appearance

Legacy Act

On Friday, a Northern Ireland Office (NIO) spokesperson said they had "enormous sympathy for Mrs Brown and her family who have suffered so much since Sean Brown's murder".

"The recent judgement by the High Court, however, raises a number of important issues, including matters of constitutional significance that go beyond this individual case.

"The government has therefore lodged a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal and we are seeking expedition."

The NIO added that the appeal would "not delay the government's determination to repeal and replace the Legacy Act, and to reform Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to strengthen its capacity to find answers for victims and families".

'No viable alternative to a public inquiry'

Granting the judicial review challenge in December by Mr Brown's 87-year-old widow Bridie Brown, Mr Justice Humphreys held there was a "clear and unambiguous obligation" to establish a statutory probe.

"No viable alternative to a public inquiry has been advanced," the judge confirmed to the High Court.

"In these circumstances, there can be only one lawful answer, a public inquiry must be convened to satisfy the state's Article 2 obligation."

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn

'Not going to give up the fight'

Ms Brown said they were told of the decision through an email from their legal team on New Year's Eve.

"It is really difficult to start another year not going to get any justice for my father," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.

"We had made a plea to him [Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn] not to appeal that decision and allow the public inquiry to proceed, but obviously that fell on deaf ears.

"It seems they [the British government] are doing everything they possibly can to stop the public inquiry from going ahead.

"Nothing has changed now that the Labour Party has taken over, and it seems they are following the same line as the previous Conservative government."

Ms Brown said for their family, they do not feel the ICRIR "will make any difference" to their father's case and believe a public inquiry is "the only way forward".

"We are not going to give up the fight; we are making Mr Benn totally aware of that, and will continue on," she said.

"We are 27 and a half years on since my father was murdered, and we have been through a tremendous amount.

"It has been tough on us as a family, especially on our mother, who is in her 88th year.

"We want to know, and she wants to know: 'Why Sean? Who killed him? How was he killed?'"

First Minister Michelle O'Neill has labelled the British government's decision to lodge an appeal as "outrageous and disgraceful"

First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the the decision by the government to lodge an appeal was "absolutely outrageous and disgraceful".

In a statement, O'Neill said Mr Brown's family has "fought a long and difficult campaign to get to the truth" and said the decision "perpetuates and deepens the grave injustice that the Brown family have suffered".

Sean Brown's body was found in a burnt-out car near Randalstown

What happened to Sean Brown?

Mr Brown was locking the gates of GAA club Bellaghy Wolfe Tones when he was kidnapped by the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF).

Early last year, a court heard that more than 25 people, including state agents, had been linked by intelligence material to Mr Brown's murder

Last March, a coroner said Mr Brown's inquest could not continue due to material being withheld on the grounds of national security.

He decided that redactions of intelligence material meant he could not properly investigate the circumstances of the killing.

Instead, he wrote to the then Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, requesting a public inquiry into the case.

In December, the High Court ruled that current Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn must set up a public inquiry into the murder.