Sean Brown: Daughter 'shocked' at decision to delay inquest

Sean Brown was abducted and murdered in 1997

The daughter of a man murdered by loyalist paramilitaries says the UK government's decision to take legal action over his inquest is "a real insult" to his memory.

Sean Brown was abducted and shot dead after locking up the gates of his local GAA club in Bellaghy.

In March, a coroner halted an inquest into his death and wrote to the government to request a public inquiry.

However, the government said it now planned to seek a judicial review.

Speaking on BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme, Mr Brown's daughter Siobhan said the decision came as "a complete bolt out of the blue and a real insult to us as a family and to my daddy's memory".

At hearing the news, Ms Brown said she was "totally shocked" but that nothing surprised the family anymore.

Siobhan Brown said her family would keep fighting to get justice for her father

She said she felt "absolutely disgusted that the secretary of state [for Northern Ireland] and home secretary would stoop so low".

"We had a glimmer of hope that potentially there was going to be a public inquiry and that was something we were hoping would proceed," she said.

What happened to Sean Brown?

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

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

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

In March, Coroner Mr Justice Patrick Kinney said Mr Brown's inquest could not continue due to material being withheld on the grounds of national security.

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

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

Why is the government taking legal action?

The government did not provide specifics on what was behind its challenge.

However, it is believed to cover details aired at the inquest about state agents and whether it involved a breach of the neither confirm nor deny (NCND) policy.

The long-standing policy, adopted by successive governments, covers the protection of agents' identities.

Before the inquest ended, it heard that agents were among more than 25 people linked by intelligence to the shooting.

In a statement on Thursday, the government said: "We can confirm that an application for leave to apply for judicial review has been made relating to the inquest into the death of Sean Brown.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage given the matter is now the subject of judicial consideration."

The move effectively delays a decision on whether or not to grant a public inquiry into Mr Brown's murder.

The controversial Troubles Legacy Act, which came into effect in September 2023, will bring an end to future civil litigation and inquests into deaths which took place during more than 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland.

It also introduced a cut-off date of 1 May 2024 to halt running inquests which have not reached the stage of findings by that date.

'Why him?'

Ms Brown said a public inquiry would give her family the answers to questions they have always had since her father's murder.

"Why? Who? Those are questions my mother always asks - why him?" she said.

"My mother is now 86 years of age and that's all she's asked - why Sean?

"We'll keep pushing to get to the answers.

"This is a stumbling block that we've now hit. There's been many of those over the last 27 years, but we will keep on the fight to try and find justice for daddy."