Kieran Doherty: Family of Real IRA murder victim want evidence disclosed

Kieran Doherty was killed by members of his own organisation

The family of a murdered Real IRA man have called on the secretary of state to guarantee that no evidence is withheld from his inquest.

The body of Kieran Doherty, 31, was found dumped on the Braehead Road, Londonderry, on 24 February 2010.

On Thursday, a preliminary hearing into his death, held at at Belfast Coroner's Court, was delayed.

The hearing was held up due to legal wrangling over statements censored by the security services.

A Crown lawyer has argued that disclosing certain material could put lives at risk, and called for details of blacked-out documents to be heard behind closed doors.

Kieran Doherty was kidnapped by members of his own organisation in Derry in 2010.

He was stripped, bound and shot dead before his body was dumped on the outskirts of the city.

The dissident republican group, the Real IRA, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mr Doherty's body was found dumped on the Braehead Road

His family have always believed that MI5 knows more about the murder than it has revealed.

They have now appealed to Secretary of State James Brokenshire to intervene to ensure that all MI5 files about the case are disclosed in open court when the full inquest begins.

Mr Doherty's uncle, Vincent Coyle, said that all evidence in the inquest should be made public.

"We want a full and thorough disclosure of all information no matter how hard it is for the public or the government to take," he said.

"The Doherty family deserve truth, justice and a way of beginning to heal, as does this entire city."

The Lord Chief Justice's office said: "The inquest will be held in public, there is ongoing disclosure of material by the PSNI.

"A question has arisen regarding the redaction of this material on the grounds of Article Two of European Convention on Human Rights.

"The Coroner Brian Sherrard is attempting to resolve that question without the need for a closed hearing."

In 2011, the government's former independent adviser on security, Lord Carlile, concluded that the murder was not as a consequence of any "inappropriate or improper action" by the security service.