8 September 1, 2019 N N September 1, 2019 9

PROBE BOMBSHELL: McGARTLAND’S SHOCK AT NEW POLICE ADMISSIONS

ADAIR &
THE attempted murder of a state
}As far as I
agent has been linked to at least four
shootings including a failed murder am concerned
bid on terror boss Johnny Adair.
Cops reviewing the original police everything
investigation into the 1999 shooting of
Martin McGartland, who infiltrated the smacks of
IRA, made the surprising link in a set
of bombshell claims today revealed by
LIVING IT UP:
Speedy Fegan, collusion,
cover-up and
the Sunday World.

THE IRA
left, and Brendan
Those include how police have failed to Campbell were both
arrest or question a suspect, believed to be
living in the Republic, at least 10 years after
he was first linked to the case.
In a set of explosive claims straight from the
shot dead by the IRA
conspiracy~
mouths of officers tasked with reviewing the Brit-
ish agent’s shooting, it can also be revealed how:
n Bullets used in the IRA hit came from the
same batch used to assassinate drugs kingpin
‘Speedy’ Fegan
n A van used by the suspected Provo gunman
has been destroyed by police
n Three separate DNA samples belonging to
the same individual was recovered from the
shooting scene.
The revelations were made by officers tasked by
Operation Kenova chief Jon Boutcher to review the
original police probe into the attack.

BULLETS
Today McGartland, who is still in hiding and
living under death threat, says he now believes
the security services are protecting at least one
of the IRA men sent to execute him.
“There is a suspect at the centre of this who,
I have now been officially told by police, has
not been arrested or questioned, ever,” he said.
MYSTERY
“I believe that this person, this mystery man,
who I believe is living in Dublin, is a top informer
or an agent before my shooting, and is being
protected.”
He said it was possible this suspect could have
been recruited as a result of the shooting.
“They – the security services, Special Branch
or the police – did a covert DNA test, matched
it to him and threatened him with jail and gave
him a way out.
“And I believe Jon Boutcher has all the an-
swers to this.”
Mr Boutcher (below) agreed to take on the in-
former’s case on top of heading up specialist probe

l Bid to kill state l Ammunition

Operation Kenova into former IRA security chief
Freddie Scappaticci.
The Bedfordshire police chief’s team began
its review into the British agent’s attempted

agent linked to from same batch

murder two years ago.
In 2018 a draft report outlining what his
investigators uncovered was sent to Tyneside
police chiefs.
That document also set out a series of recom-

failed attack on used to kill Fegan

mendations, including how a suspect identified
at least 10 years ago should be immediately
DNA tested.
But that has yet to happen and 10 months on the

Mad Dog at gig and drug kingpins

report has yet to be publicly released. IN HIDING: Martin
McGartland said he is now being met with a McGartland still fears
wall of silence when he asks if it ever will. WOUNDED:
IRA retribution. Below,
He has now decided to release recordings of Mad Dog Adair
with the Sunday World
his meetings with review cops who revealed to
him shocking flaws and errors sur- they’ve (Northumbria Police) done it have been ignored. “As far as I am ongoing investigation, however, it
rounding the original police probe. EXCLUSIVE and they’ve made some rationale for concerned everything smacks of has been released to interested par-
They also released previously BY PATRICIA DEVLIN why they’ve done it. complete collusion, a cover-up and ties and redacted where necessary.”
unknown information that they “We are astounded ourselves.” a conspiracy. McGartland was recruited as a Spe-
claimed links the hit on McGartland terror boss Johnny Adair – whose The officers go on to speak about a “Even though a report and rec- cial Branch agent when he was 16. He
to other IRA murders, attempted shootings they said could be linked key piece of DNA evidence secured ommendation was given to North- worked for them for four years until
killings and punishment shootings. to McGartland’s case. from the scene. umbria Police 10 months ago, they his cover was blown in 1991.
One of those is the May 1999 Those named were Brendan ‘Bap’ “There is a person who needs still have not eliminated that person He jumped from the window of a
murder of Co. Down drugs kingpin Campbell (30), Paul ‘Bull’ Downey eliminating and they need to get through DNA. flat in west Belfast where he was
Brendan ‘Speedy’ Fegan. (37) and Patrick Farrell (49) – all that individual’s DNA. We can’t go “I believe this mystery person is being held by the Provisionals’
The dealer (24) was blasted to drug dealers gunned down within into it any more because it’s quite a top, top informer who could still internal security unit.
death as he sat in a pub in Newry. two years of each other. sensitive and a little bit messy.” be active. In 1999, he was ambushed by IRA
BLASTED A botched republican hit job on When asked, the officer refused gunmen outside his Tyneside home.
Adair, who was blasted in the back to “confirm or deny” if the man was EVIDENCE He was shot six times in the hand,
In strikingly similar circumstanc- of the head at a UB4O concert in May being protected. “I believe wholeheartedly that the chest and stomach. His life was
es, he was set upon by two gunmen 1999, was also linked. However, he added that he did not reason why that van was destroyed saved by neighbours who used cling
in disguises before being blasted McGartland said he was “du- accept Nothumbria Police’s rea- was because it was an Aladdin’s cave film to stop the blood flow from his
multiple times. bious” as some of the killings son for not securing the sample. of forensic evidence and the person who wounds.
The killing was blamed on the did not involve republicans, “We aren’t hiding anything was sitting in it is an agent.” The attack left him with
Provo-linked vigilante group Direct including that of Farrell, from you, but at the moment we Last night a spokesperson for life-changing physical and psycho-
Action Against Drugs (DAAD). shot dead by his girlfriend can’t give you the full details. Northumbria police said: “A review logical disabilities.
In a recording made in October last in a murder-suicide in Louth. “We have lots of meat on the into the case was carried out by an His identity had been publicly re-
year, Mr Boutcher’s officers can be In another recording bone about what you’ve external force and was presented vealed after he was caught speeding
heard telling McGartland that a RUC taken on the same been talking about. to Northumbria Police late in 2018. by Northumbria Police and prose-
ballistics report states bullets used in date, the officers in- “We’re digging to get We have acknowledged the recom- cuted for holding driving licences
Fegan’s murder came from the “same form McGartland a bit more meat on the mendations of that review. in his two names.
batch” used on him. that a van used bone and I know it “We can confirm this case has In 2017 he lodged a complaint
“The information is that the am- by the IRA gun- will be a good read remained open since the shooting with the Northern Ireland Police
munition used is the same type man has been de- when you get our re- in 1999 and that we are investing a Ombudsman claiming that the RUC,
used in the Speedy Fegan murder stroyed. view document.” significant and dedicated resource PSNI and English police had failed
and that comes from the ballistics One officer tells A year on into progressing the investigation.” to warn him of threats to his life,
(report) in Ireland,” said the officer. him: “At the end McGartland is They added: “The report was not including one just before his 1999
The policeman goes on to name of the day, I don’t still waiting and for public release as it contains shooting.
four other men – including UDA agree with it, but repeated requests sensitive information regarding the p.devlin@sundayworld.com