John Somerville was born in 1940 into a respectable small farming family from outside Moygashel, Co Tyrone. [17][87], During the six years from the onset of "the Troubles" until the July 1975 attack, there had never been an incident involving any of the showbands. I was told by a source close to "Mr. A" and another loyalist hitman that Nairac was not present at either murder [Miami Showband and John Francis Green]. Jackson was never charged with the Miami atrocity. [41] Fran O'Toole attempted to run away, but was quickly chased down by the gunmen who had immediately jumped down into the field in pursuit. He believed it was based on the erroneous linkage of Nairac to the earlier murder of IRA man John Francis Green in County Monaghan the same pistol was used in both attacks. And two years later when he was scooped in an RUC raid in Dungannon on September 26, 1980, he made a detailed confession outlining his involvement in numerous UVF murders. It took place on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland. It was my own personal feelings and convictions at the time these things happened. [85], The Pat Finucane Centre has named the Miami Showband killings as one of the 87 violent attacks perpetrated by the Glenanne gang against the Irish nationalist community in the 1970s. In December 1972, Rock left the band to be briefly replaced by two brothers, Frankie and Johnny Simon. After meeting a new woman, Somerville settled on the Shankill and for a while he worked in the Harland and Wolff shipyard. Weir's affidavit implicating Robin Jackson in a number of attacks including the 1974 Dublin bombings was published in the 2003 Barron Report; the findings of an official investigation into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings commissioned by Irish Supreme Court Judge Henry Barron. [101], A Netflix documentary titled ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre was released 22 March 2019, highlighting the efforts of Steve Travers to track down who authorized the attack, for what purposes, and to get an admission of culpability.[102][103]. Notorious loyalist serial killer Robin Jackson. In this adult animated comedy, Elvis trades his jumpsuit for a jetpack when he joins a secret spy program to stop villains from destroying the world. [19] In early 1973, Billy MacDonald (a.k.a. But along with his friend Jackson, he helped build the UVF in mid-Ulster. "Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, Sub-Committee on the Barron Report", "The Miami Showband Massacre, 1975: A Survivor's Search for the Truth", "Miami Showband Massacre: Involvement of UVF Man Robin Jackson". Can you step out of the van for a few minutes and we'll just do a check". Forensic photography, or the practice of taking photos at the scene of a crime, has been around for over a century. It had been set up in Lurgan in 1972 by part-time Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) sergeant and permanent staff instructor Billy Hanna, who made himself commander of the brigade. The massacre dealt a blow to Northern Ireland's live music scene, which had brought young Catholics and Protestants together. [17] Five Catholic civilians were shot; passenger Joseph Toland was killed outright and driver James Marks died of his wounds in January 1976. What little that remained intact of their bodies was burnt beyond recognition; one of the limbless torsos was completely charred.[20]. [23], According to the Irish Times, at the height of Irish showbands' popularity (from the 1950s to the 1970s), up to as many as 700 bands travelled to venues all over Ireland on a nightly basis.[24]. There was very little planning. They subsequently set up a roadblock with "all the trappings of a regular military checkpoint". [19], In 1994, Eric Smyth, a former UDR member and the husband of Brian McCoy's sister, Sheila, was killed by the IRA. Brian McCoy was the first to die, having been hit in the back and neck by nine rounds from a 9mm Luger pistol in the initial volley of gunfire. [19], The 1975 line-up comprised four Catholics and two Protestants. [62][64], On 24 August 1975, Catholic civilians Colm McCartney and Sean Farmer were stopped in their car at what is believed to have been another fake checkpoint at Altnamackin (near Newtownhamilton). Both men had pleaded for their lives before they were shot; one had cried out, "Please don't shoot me don't kill me". In prison John Somerville lived a reclusive life. He subsequently stated they refused to accept his description of the different-coloured beret worn by the soldier with the English accent. He also added that "that bomb was definitely placed there with a view to killing all in that band".[22]. It allows for commemoration and leaving of flowers at the location itself. [13] Dillon suggested that because there were a number of UDR members in the UVF, and were planned to be used for the Miami Showband ambush, Hanna was considered to have been a "security risk", and the UVF decided he had to be killed before he could alert the authorities. Before adjourning the Alex Murdaugh case today, Judge Clifford Newman warned against sharing graphic autopsy photos of Maggie and Paul's bodies that were accidentally shown during the trial.. Tony Geraghty also attempted to escape; but he was caught by the gunmen and shot twice in the back of his head and a number of times in the back. [100] He did, however, express his concern over the fact that nobody was ever charged with his attempted murder. The plaque describes them as having been "killed in action". Millionen hochwertiger Bilder, Videos und Musiktracks warten auf Sie. Somerville told other paramilitary prisoners how detectives repeatedly tried to persuade him to become a Special Branch tout operating inside the UVF. [10][11] Hanna was named by former British Intelligence Corps operative Colin Wallace as having organised and led the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, along with Jackson. [99], The findings noted in the report confirmed Mid-Ulster UVF leader Robin Jackson's involvement and identified him as an RUC Special Branch agent. Somerville would never have gone to prison if he'd agreed to work for the RUC. It was his brother Wesley's arm," said the source. A". Following the explosion pandemonium broke out among the remaining gunmen; shouting obscenities, they started shooting the dazed band members, who had all been blown down into the field below the level of the road from the force of the blast. That same year, keyboardist Francis (Fran) O'Toole (from Bray, County Wicklow) had won the Gold Star Award on RT's Reach For the Stars television programme. . Three band members were taken from their tour bus and shot . Five members of the Dublin-based band were travelling home after a performance at the Castle Ballroom in Banbridge, County Down, on Thursday 31 July 1975. It had been travelling from Banbridge to Bleary with nine people on board; all were Catholics and most had been returning from a regular bingo session. [34], Thomas Crozier recounted that on the night of the killings, he had driven to the grounds of a school in Lurgan where he had picked up two men. [68] During the trial, Des McAlea had received death threats which made him fear for the safety of his family; this caused him to eventually leave Northern Ireland. [77] However, Ministry of Defence documents released in 2020 contain suggestions that Nairac acquired equipment and uniforms for the Miami Showband killers, and that he was responsible for the planning and execution of the attack itself. How are things? A Sunday World investigation into the Miami Showband atrocity has revealed the now deceased killer's assertion was true. But it went nowhere when a senior RUC officer advised the UVF leader to lie low for a while. [21][22], Their music was described as "contemporary and trans-Atlantic", with no reference to the Northern Ireland conflict. Irish Times diarist Frank McNally summed up the massacre as "an incident that encapsulated all the madness of the time". Somerville walked over to McCaughey saying: "Get back on the bus. A Sunday World investigation into the Miami Showband atrocity has revealed the now deceased killer's assertion was true. The murder of singer Fran O'Toole . O'Toole and McCoy were both married; each had two children. Survivors Stephen Travers and Des McAlea were both present at the unveiling, as was the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, who made a tribute. [34][81][82] The panel stated that it was unclear why Crozier, Jackson and Neill were not in police custody at the time the Miami Showband killings took place. [22] Saxophone player Des McAlea, who had been standing closest to the minibus, was hit by its door when it was blown off in the explosion, but was not badly wounded. This meant that both it and the UDA were legal organisations. Jane Carter says late son received many threats prior to his death. Three photos, which have been cropped slightly and published below, show the extent of the injuries to Rainey's chest, back, arms and legs. crime scene photos 1,913 Vintage Crime Scene Premium High Res Photos Browse 1,913 vintage crime scene stock photos and images available, or search for crime scene photos to find more great stock photos and pictures. [53] It was believed he had been betrayed to the RUC by a member of the gang. The Miami Showband (1962-1996 and 2008-present) Photo Gallery - Band Lineups - Discography - Audio samples - Where Are They Now? [62] The attack was blamed on loyalists; Lost Lives an account of every death in the conflict states that reliable loyalist sources have confirmed the UVF was responsible. 3/2/2023 1:00 AM PT. The patrol sergeant immediately ordered the patrol to shoot back. Three UVF members are being treated for gunshot wounds after last night but not in hospital. Among the large crowd he spotted Billy McCaughey, a former police sergeant and convicted killer who had named his UVF accomplices to investigating detectives. Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville were given UVF paramilitary funerals conducted by Free Presbyterian minister William McCrea, a Democratic Unionist Party politician. The Miami Showband's surviving members Des Lee, Ray Miller and Stephen Travers Credit . [35], On 22 January 1976, a second UDR soldier, Sergeant James Roderick Shane McDowell (aged 29, an optical worker, also from Lurgan) was arrested and charged with the Miami killings. Pinnwnde sind ideal zum Speichern von Bildern und Videoclips. A UVF patrol led by Major Boyle was suspicious of two vehicles, a minibus and a car parked near the border. [40] Three of the musicians were killed: lead singer Fran O'Toole, trumpeter Brian McCoy, and guitarist Tony Geraghty. At about 2:30am, when the band was seven miles (11km) north of Newry on the main A1 road, their Volkswagen minibus (driven by trumpeter Brian McCoy with bassist Stephen Travers in the front seat beside him) reached the townland of Buskhill. Robin Jackson died of cancer in May 1998 aged 49. Five people were killed, including three members of The Miami Showband, who were one of Ireland's most popular cabaret bands. Unlike Jackson, Somerville was arrested in the wake of the Miami atrocity, but he refused to make a statement and was released without charge. The Miami Showband toured throughout 1970s Ireland before the attack The musicians were ordered to line up at the roadside outside Newry while the gang loaded a bomb on to their bus. Concerned they might be damaged, McAlea first approached the two gunmen and asked if he could remove his saxophone. [22][44], One of the first RUC men who arrived at Buskhill in the wake of the killings was scenes of crime officer James O'Neill. Jackson was convinced Hanna was a Special Branch informer and he feared he may spill details of the imminent Miami attack to his RUC handler. Photograph: Independent News and Media/Getty Images [62] One report says it was stopped at a fake British Army checkpoint. The three men were sent to serve their sentence in the Maze Prison, on the outskirts of Lisburn. Gaelic footballer brothers John Martin Reavey (24) and Brian (22) died at the scene, while 17-year-old Anthony died three weeks later. He was charged with the Miami Showband murders, the attempted murder of Stephen Travers, and the murder of Patrick Falls in 1974. The patrol later recovered two Armalite rifles and a pistol. Findings in a report carried out by the PSNI's Historic Enquiries Team into the Miami atrocity stated that there was fingerprint evidence linking Robin Jackson to the attack. When three young musicians lost their lives on 31 July 1975, the heart was torn out of Ireland's showband community. Crozier had pleaded not guilty. [35], Out of sight of the band members, two of the gunmen placed a ten-pound (4.5kg) time bomb that was inside a briefcase under the driver's seat of the minibus. By this time the gunmen had left the scene, assuming everyone else had been killed. Jackson had assumed command of the Mid-Ulster UVF just a few days before the Miami Showband attack, after allegedly shooting Hanna dead outside his home in Lurgan on 27 July 1975. More than 100 killings have been attributed to him by the Pat Finucane Centre, the Derry-based civil rights group.[15][17]. [22] He presently resides near Craigavon. "Billy Mac") took over as the group's frontman when the Simon brothers quit the band. The dead bombers were named by the UVF, in a statement issued within 12 hours of the attack. [62] However, police have blamed the IRA. He was then machine-gunned 22 times, mostly in the face, as he lay supine on the ground. The Miami Showband killings (also called the Miami Showband Massacre) was an attack by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group, on 31 July 1975. They were both present when the Miami Showband bomb exploded, but the shootings which followed seconds later - including the slaughter of Fran O'Toole - were mainly the work of John Somerville. The band was travelling home to Dublin late at night after a performance in Banbridge. Abe Reles, 1941 Place: Half Moon Hotel, Coney Island Date: 25th October 1957 Means: Pushed out of the window Angelo Bruno, 1980 Place: Intersection of 10th Street and Snyder Avenue, South Philadelphia Date: 21st March 1980 Means: Shotgun blast to the back of the head Despite his conversion to Christianity, Somerville remained virulently anti-Catholic and he strongly opposed the Good Friday Agreement. However, Martin Dillon alleged that the bomb was meant to go off in the Irish Republic. OnlyFans model Courtney Clenney, who's accused of killing her boyfriend, Obumseli, remains behind bars on second-degree murder charges. [5], UK Home Secretary Roy Jenkins introduced the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which gave the government unprecedented powers against the liberty of individuals in the United Kingdom in peacetime. [76] Retired diplomat Alistair Kerr wrote a biography of Nairac entitled "Betrayal: the Murder of Robert Nairac" published in 2015, which offers documentary evidence that clears Nairac of having been at Buskhill overseeing the attack. The two men were found shot dead nearby. [8] The brigade was described by author Don Mullan as one of the most ruthless units operating in the 1970s. Then They Were Coldly Murdered", "An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland: 1975", "Sub-Committee on the Barron Report 26September 2006 Public Hearings on the Barron Report". Date: 12th November 1941 Means: Assassinated. Former serving Secret Intelligence Service agent Captain Fred Holroyd, and others, suggested that Nairac had organised the attack in co-operation with Robin Jackson and the Mid-Ulster UVF. It has been suggested that the bomb was meant to explode en route, so that the victim band members would appear to be Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb-smugglers and stricter security measures would be established at the border. Its basic repertoire included cover versions of pop songs that were currently in the charts, and standard dance numbers. He was also one of the prime suspects in the sectarian killing of Dorothy Traynor on 1 April 1975 in Portadown. Fortnight Magazine reported that on 1 June 1982, John James Somerville began a hunger strike at the Maze to obtain special category status. [15][16] A report in the Irish Times implicated Jackson in the Dublin bombings. [81] Martin Dillon maintained in The Dirty War that the Miami Showband attack was planned weeks before at a house in Portadown, and the person in charge of the overall operation was a former UDR man, whom Dillon referred to for legal reasons as "Mr. [86] Weir alleged the bomb used in the Miami Showband attack came from Mitchell's farm. Hurled in opposite directions, they were both decapitated and their bodies dismembered. Travers had described the English-accented man as having been of normal height and thought he had fair hair, but was not certain. The Historical Enquiries Team investigated the killings and released their report to the victims' families in December 2011. As a teenager with strongly held anti-Catholic views, Somerville joined the B Specials, but he later went to sea as a member of the Merchant Navy. [22] Near the junction with Buskhill Road they were flagged down by armed men dressed in British Army uniforms waving a red torch in a circular motion. Aged 70, he died of cancer of the kidney. It was found 100 yards (91m) from the site with a "UVF Portadown" tattoo on it. [22], At least four of the gunmen were soldiers from the UDR. [4], In May 1974, unionists called a general strike to protest against the Sunningdale Agreement an attempt at power-sharing, setting up a Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland, which would have given the Government of Ireland a voice in running Northern Ireland. [30][39], When the device was tilted on its side,[30] clumsy soldering on the clock used as a timer caused the bomb to explode prematurely, blowing the minibus apart and killing UVF men Harris Boyle (aged 22, a telephone wireman from Portadown) and Wesley Somerville (aged 34, a textile worker from Moygashel) instantly. [14], Jackson was an alleged RUC Special Branch agent who was said by Yorkshire Television's The Hidden Hand: The Forgotten Massacre programme to have had links to both the Intelligence Corps and Captain Robert Nairac.
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