February 21, 2004 Deaths 'A Grave Injustice'
by Sharon O'Neill, Irish News

The killings of six north Belfast men 31 years ago are "a grave injustice in our midst", the city's Lord Mayor has said.

SDLP councillor Martin Morgan yesterday (Wednesday) backed a campaign spearheaded by families of the 'New Lodge Six' for an independent inquiry into the deaths.

Jim Sloan, Jim McCann, Tony Campbell, Brendan Maguire, John Loughran and Ambrose Hardy were shot dead during a 90-minute period on February 3 and 4 1973.

Mr McCann and Mr Sloan were killed in a drive-by shooting at the top of the New Lodge while the four other men were shot dead by British soldiers.

Allegations persist that Mr McCann and Mr Sloan were murdered by loyalists or an undercover British army unit.

The IRA said Mr Sloan, Mr McCann and Mr Campbell were members of the organisation but insisted that they had not been on active service at the time they were killed.

The Ministry of Defence later paid compensation to the families of the four men the army had admitted shooting.

Last year the New Lodge Six: Time for Truth Committee conducted a community inquiry into the men's deaths.

The inquiry found that the men had been unlawfully killed and said there was no evidence to indicate that they had been armed at the time.

The British government and army were invited to participate in the community inquiry but declined.

Yesterday in the mayor's parlour at Belfast City Hall relatives signed a petition which will be delivered to the United Nations calling on it to investigate the case.

Other high-profile figures who attended the press conference organised by Relatives of Justice included international lawyer Edmund Lynch and New York Supreme Court Judge Patrick Henry.

"The initiative to petition the UN special rapporteur is an important step in the struggle for the families and the New Lodge community in their long search for truth and justice about the horrific events of February 3 and 4 1973 which claimed the lives of six young men," New Lodge Six campaign chairman Paul O'Neill said.

Mr Morgan said: "We have six victims and we have families who have yet to achieve justice for their relatives.

"As long as that is maintained, I believe that we cannot achieve a fully inclusive, just society."

Rosaleen Beattie, whose brother Ambrose was one of those killed, told of her family's 30-year fight for justice.

"It is good to see we are getting further on. I want the truth to be known, for the British to accept responsibility for what they have done," she said.

"You never forget. Coming to this stage, it has brought it all back."

Sinn Féin North Belfast assembly member Gerry Kelly said: "This has been a long time coming. For many years there was not the atmosphere to get the truth and justice the families have been asking for but they have plugged on.

"They have a very solid case for an inquiry. Why resist such an inquiry?"