PSNI and MoD settle civil case over 1992 loyalist pub attack

The case arose from the UVF attack on the Thierafurth Inn in Kilcoo during a darts tournament, in which Peter McCormack, 42, was murdered and three other people were seriously injured.

The survivors, who alleged state collusion and suffered physical and psychological injuries, launched civil proceedings 11 years ago. A court had previously ruled that the state failed to carry out an effective, human rights-compliant investigation into the shooting.

At Belfast High Court, barrister Patrick Lyttle KC confirmed the claims by eight plaintiffs had been resolved, with the defendants agreeing to pay legal costs.

Victims’ solicitor Gavin Booth said: “It has taken 11 years since the civil proceedings started for us to bring this to court but today is finally an acknowledgement of the hurt, the pain and the trauma they caused these families.

“It is finally an acknowledgement of what happened in 1992. What happened could have been stopped, those persons could have been prosecuted. The families have suffered severe trauma.”

Survivor John McEvoy, who was working as the pub’s barman during the attack, said: “We have waited a long time for this, it is 34 years now from the shooting. It never goes out of your mind, it is with you all the time.

“Compensation doesn’t change what happened, it doesn’t change that those that done this are still out there.”

Another survivor, Patrick Gribben, who was shot several times in the attack, said he was glad the case had finally concluded.