SAS TROOPS ‘JUSTIFIED’ IN SHOOTING IRA TRIO DEAD

SAS soldiers were justified shooting dead three IRA men in an ambush in 1991, a coroner ruled yesterday.

Mr Justice Michael Humphreys said he was satisfied the troops had used “reasonable” force at Coagh, Co Tyrone.

Delivering his provisional findings at the inquest, he said in each case the soldiers had “an honest belief it was necessary to prevent loss of life”.

However, the coroner also concluded the operation was not planned in a manner that minimised the need for recourse to lethal force.

The inquest into the deaths of Peter Ryan, Tony Doris and Lawrence McNally opened in 2022.

The three men were intercepted by the SAS as they drove through Coagh in a stolen car.

They were suspected of planning to murder a member of the security forces. All three were shot dead in a hail of gunfire. The inquest was told that up to 150 rounds were fired.

Wounds

Delivering his verdict in the legacy case, Mr Justice Humphreys said McNally died as a result of gunshot wounds to the head and heart, Doris as a result of gunshot wounds to the head and Ryan by a gunshot wound to the chest.

He also ruled McNally and Ryan were shot by Soldier G, while Doris was shot and killed by Soldier B.

The coroner said the men were members of the East Tyrone brigade of IRA and were on “active service” when they were shot.

Outside the High Court in Belfast, Ryan’s brother Donal said there were “at least two opportunities to arrest these men”. He added: “They brought them into the kill zone... there was no way these men were ever going to survive.”