[25], He moved to England and received nearly 100,000 to buy a house and establish a new life in Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, going by the name Martin Ashe. Martin McGartland went undercover for the Royal Ulster Constabulary in a bid to undermine the Belfast IRA in the 1980s. POLICE investigating the attempted murder of British agent Martin McGartland have failed to arrest or question a man identified as a suspect more than 10 years ago.The shocking revelation was made by cops reviewing the original police probe into the 1999 shooting which left the IRA infiltrator fighting for his life.The top secret review, headed Marty believes he became the IRA's top target because of he revealed everything he knew about the organisation in his 1997 autobiography, Fifty Dead Men Walking. [4], He stated that he was recruited after compromising himself during a vulnerable time in his life, but did not specify why he was vulnerable or why he would risk his life as a mole for British intelligence in an area such as West Belfast. He received assistance from his neighbours and was rushed to intensive care in hospital where he recovered from his injuries. Davy Adams immediately gave McGartland his first assignment, which was to check the house of a well-known Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) figure. [5][6], On 26 November 2013, it was reported that The Irish News had won a legal battle after a judge ruled against Keeleys lawsuit against the newspaper for breach of privacy and copyright, by publishing his photograph, which thereby also, he argued, endangered his life. In May 2005, Minister McDowell advised a US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland that he believed the outing of Donaldson as an informant was a clear message from the British Government that it had another, more valuable, source of information within the republican leadership. Martin McGartland was shot as he sat in his car in Duchess Street, Whitley Bay, on 17 June 1999. . The reason I will help Northumbria Police is that this is an injustice.[29] Monaghans main claims were for false imprisonment, assault and wrongful interference with goods. These allegations, however, were strongly denied by both men. [22] Diaries of the late Detective Superintendent Ian Phoenix, head of the Northern Ireland Police Counter-Surveillance Unit, revealed that he and the other Special Branch officers had advised senior RUC officers against stopping the gun couriers vehicles as doing so would put McGartlands life at risk as well as allow the actual IRA gunmen to escape. Believing that he would be helping to combat British imperialism, OCallaghan volunteered for the newly founded Provisional IRA at the age of 16. The . Most of the people who have been targeted by any terrorist organisation are targeted as a result of having a routine. You can never ever shut it off. [38], In 1997 McGartland published a book about his life, Fifty Dead Men Walking. Martin McGartland is a former Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) informer who joined the organisation in order to pass information to British security forces. On the wider implications of the reports findings, McGartland added: The Northumbria police knew the IRA had been behind my shooting, that they acted in consort with MI5, the Home Office and the then Blair Labour government (and subsequent governments) covered it up to protect not only the IRA as an organisation but the individual IRA members who tried to murder me. Belfast District Judge Isobel Brownlie stated at least twice that she was not impressed with Keeleys evidence and described him as disingenuous. His allegations indicate that, to the handlers of the FRU, it was more important to keep Stakeknife in place rather than save the life of Hegarty.[9]. If you like, you can change the digest interval below. Im not complaining. His ex-wife, Margaret Keeley, filed a lawsuit in early 2014 for full access to documents relating to her ex-husband. The Provisional IRA issued a one-line statement saying that it had no involvement whatsoever with the murder. I came to believe that individuals taking responsibility for their own actions is the basis for civilization, Without that safety net we have nothing.[9], The final straw, was OCallaghans disgust over the IRAs fatal bombing attack on the yacht of Lord Mountbatten, which also killed Mountbattens 14-year-old grandchild and a 15-year-old boat employee. He was then kidnapped by the IRA and only escaped being killed by jumping from a third-floor window. His testimony was one of the main elements of the supergrass policy, which hoped to convict large numbers of paramilitaries. Martin was shot 6 times by the IRA in June 1999. [4], In 1976, aged 21, OCallaghan resigned from the Provisional IRA, and moved to London. [45], There are letters extant which demonstrate that Crown authorities through their solicitors Burton & Burton wrote to the BBC and confirmed that McGartland had worked for them under the code name Agent Carol. McGartland's first job was working a paper round, and later delivering milk. "I can never ever have any kind of routine. In 1981 he was arrested by French authorities at Orly airport, along with fellow IRA volunteer, William Blue Kelly. . Hem; Artiklar; Nummer. [16] McGuinness stated that if de facto exiles such as Gilmour wanted to return home, it was a matter for their own judgment and their ability to make peace with the community. Flanagan, a Catholic, was regarded as a traitor by both the IRA and many local residents. [18], Although McGartland says he prevented the IRA from carrying out many "spectaculars", including the planned bombing of two lorries transporting British soldiers from Stranraer to Larne that could have resulted in the loss of over a dozen lives,[19] his reported greatest regret was his failure in June 1991 to save the life of 21-year-old Private Tony Harrison. [4] It was at this point that he apparently agreed to become an undercover agent for British security forces. He recounted in his book Fifty Dead Men Walking that he occasionally drove IRA punishment squads around and overheard them boast about the beatings they had meted out to their victims. His identity became known after a minor court case; he was shot by the IRA, but recovered from the injuries. Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over 25. He now lives relatively openly in England, having refused to adopt a new identity, and works as a security consultant, occasional advisor to the Ulster Unionist Party,[24] and media pundit, usually whenever the IRA has made a major announcement. They were great blokes. As the Sinn Fin leadership under Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness turned toward a peace process strategy, Donaldson was dispatched to New York City, where he helped establish Friends of Sinn Fin, an organisation that solicited mainstream political and financial support for the new strategy while attempting to isolate hard-line activists in Irish Northern Aid and other support organisations in the US. The Valhallas crew was arrested by US Customs agents immediately after returning to Gloucester. "If I didn't have her I couldn't have coped. Zapamti me Jo niste polaznik?Registrirajte se [14] He convinced his IRA associates that he was a committed member of the organisation and he successfully led a double life, which was kept secret even from the mother of his two sons. They were rejected by the High Court in January 2006. fifty skinheads appeared from nowhere, many of them wearing Chelsea and Rangers football scarves and covered in Loyalist and swastika tattoos. After the opening scene, set in Canada in 1999, in which Martin is shot several times, the story flashes back to 1988, to find him eking out a living as a door-to-door salesman of stolen shoes and . [28], In 1997, his identity was revealed publicly by the Northumbria Police in court when he was caught breaking the speed limit and subsequently prosecuted for holding driving licences in different names, which he explained as a means of avoiding IRA detection. In 1984, OCallaghan informed his Garda handler of an attempt to smuggle seven tons of AK-47 assault rifles from the United States. In December 2005, the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland dropped the espionage charges against Donaldson and two other men on the grounds that it would not be in the public interest to proceed with the case. Ex-IRA mole reveals how his Geordie girlfriend is still helping him recover two decades on from assassination attempt, Sign up for free to get the latest North East news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. His identity became publicly known after a minor court case. On 23.03.72, thirteen-year-old Fianna na hireann Sean O'Riordan was 'killed in action' when participating in an attack on a British Army foot patrol in Cawnpore Street on the Falls. Learn more about Martin McGartland. However, he was awarded 100 for a delay in returning items of property. Martin McGartland alleges that the organisation made a series of security gaffes that left him open to assassination. Northumbria Police and the CPS led the IRA to Martin's 'safe house' and he was shot 6 times. [45], McGartland responded by lambasting May, pointing out that this is one of the daftest things I have ever heard; everyone who is interested knows my past [n]o current security interest is at stake. After highlighting the two books he has written about his life as an undercover agent, one of which was made into a successful film, there have also been six television documentaries on him and a number of newspaper articles. Number of complaints against Superintendent Amanda Bell - Head of Professional Standards - during previous 12 months .. Martin McGartland request McGartland wrote that diaries of the late Detective Superintendent Ian Phoenix, head of the Northern Ireland Police Counter-Surveillance Unit, showed that he and other Special Branch officers had advised senior RUC officers against stopping the gun couriers' vehicles, as doing so would put McGartland's life at risk and allow the actual IRA gunmen to escape. Total costs, including the investigation, amounted to 1,500,000. [12] He was cleared of perverting the course of justice. Harrison, a soldier from London, was shot by the IRA at the home of his East Belfast fiancee where they were making wedding plans. [1], In Unsung Hero, Fulton claims he worked undercover as a British Army agent within the IRA. Most of these operations were shoots or sniping attacks, but on only one occasion, in January 1981, did his activities result in the death of a British soldier, who was shot and killed at Castle Gate, near Derrys city walls. Their methods were not met with approval by all residents. The information he supplied to the security agencies over several years is widely credited with having saved the lives of at least 50 British police officers and soldiers. It was Martins husband who found her body on a shattered staircase inside the base. [11] McGartland was given the code name Agent Carol by the RUC. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Home office, MI5 and HMG using and abusing secret courts to cover-up their own dirty deeds, crimes and wrongdoing", "Is 'Fifty Dead Men Walking' really based on truth?". [43] In August 2006 Ian Paisley told Peter Hain, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, We have also heard how the sister of IRA informer Martin McGartland was told by police that her safety was under threat. 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