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| SAS 'unjustified' in 1992 shooting of four IRA men | SAS 'unjustified' in 1992 shooting of four IRA men |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The SAS opened fire as the four men entered Patrick's Church car park in Clonoe, County Tyrone | |
| An inquest has ruled the use of lethal force by SAS soldiers was unjustified when they opened fire killing four IRA men in an ambush at Clonoe in County Tyrone. | An inquest has ruled the use of lethal force by SAS soldiers was unjustified when they opened fire killing four IRA men in an ambush at Clonoe in County Tyrone. |
| Kevin Barry O'Donnell, 21, Sean O'Farrell, 23, Peter Clancy, 19, and Daniel Vincent, 20, died in February 1992, minutes after they had carried out a gun attack on Coalisland police station. | Kevin Barry O'Donnell, 21, Sean O'Farrell, 23, Peter Clancy, 19, and Daniel Vincent, 20, died in February 1992, minutes after they had carried out a gun attack on Coalisland police station. |
| The soldiers opened fire as the men arrived at St Patrick's Church car park in a hijacked lorry which had a heavy machine gun welded to its tailgate. | The soldiers opened fire as the men arrived at St Patrick's Church car park in a hijacked lorry which had a heavy machine gun welded to its tailgate. |
| Security forces had intelligence the car park would be used and 12 soldiers were in position behind a hedgerow. | Security forces had intelligence the car park would be used and 12 soldiers were in position behind a hedgerow. |
| They opened fire without warning when the lorry drove in – firing more than 500 rounds. | They opened fire without warning when the lorry drove in – firing more than 500 rounds. |
| Lethal force 'cannot have been reasonable' | |
| An inquest has ruled the shooting of Peter Clancy, Kevin Barry O'Donnell and Sean O'Farrell by the SAS was unjustified | |
| In statements at the time, the soldiers stated the use of lethal force was justified to protect their lives and those of their colleagues from the danger the IRA unit presented. | |
| However, coroner Mr Justice Michael Humphries found the use of lethal force cannot have been reasonable. | |
| He said there was no attempt to arrest the four IRA men, even as they lay wounded. | |
| Mr Justice Humphries added that state agencies had "perpetuated falsehoods" about the incident, having claimed at the time there had been a gun battle. | |
| In fact, the IRA men had not fired on the soldiers. | |
| He referred to a Ministry of Defence document which had referred to the operation as "an excellent security forces success". |