February 21, 2004 Ludlow Family Consider Civil Case Against Garda
by Valerie Robinson, Irish News

The family of Seamus Ludlow is to consider suing the Garda Siochana after Justice Henry Barron publishes his report into the 1976 murder. The revelation comes as a Sunday newspaper claimed that a British-based loyalist is expected to be questioned over the murder.

Samuel Black-Carroll, now living in the Midlands, was among four suspects arrested and quizzed by the RUC in 1998 in connection with the murder of the Catholic forestry worker near his Co Louth home.

Mr Ludlow's family was infuriated when the DPP revealed that it had no plans to bring charges against the four in 1999.

His nephew Kevin Sharkey last night (Tuesday) said he now believed that Mr Ludlow's killers would never face justice because both the PSNI and the Garda lacked the will to satisfactorily complete their investigations.

Seamus Ludlow's family is currently awaiting the publication of a report by Judge Barron into the killing 28 years ago. It is expected that the document will be made public before the spring.

Relatives have continued to claim that no charges were ever brought by the Northern Ireland authorities in relation to the murder because a key figure was an informant, who was also a member of the Red Hand Commandos.

Mr Sharkey said: "I personally believe that those responsible for Seamus's murder will never be brought to justice because the PSNI and the gardai don't want to open old sores.

"Now we want to go after the people who suppressed evidence after the murder and that's why we will consider taking a civil case against the gardai after the Barron report is published."

Relatives are scheduled to hold a meeting with the former Supreme Court judge later this month to discuss his ongoing investigation.

Justice Barron already reported in December that he believed it was "likely" that elements of the British security forces colluded with loyalist paramilitaries to carry out the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings.

During his three-year inquiry, the judge was, however, unable to establish whether the British government or any senior police or British army figures had worked with the UVF to plan the car bomb attacks which killed 33 people and an unborn baby.

Last month, an Oireachtas sub-committee began hearings in Dublin to consider the findings of the judge's report.

Meanwhile, the Birmingham-based Sunday Mercury newspaper reported at the weekend that Samuel Black-Carroll may be detained and questioned for a second time about the Ludlow killing.

The 50-year-old, dubbed Mambo by his associates, was linked to UDA commander John McKeague, who was killed by the INLA in 1982.

He is understood to move between Liverpool and Rugeley in Stafford-shire where he has lived since the late 1980s, but spent time behind bars four years ago after he attacked a man whom he claimed had called him "Semtex Sam".