THE family of a West Belfast man murdered five years ago believe that state agents were involved in his murder.
Kieran Wylie (57) was shot dead in his home on Lenadoon Avenue on May 17, 2020.
The PSNI stated that he had been subject to a threat from "a grouping of violent dissident republicans" several years before. His two daughters, aged 16 and 28, witnessed the callous slaying.
Members of his family have attended the first preliminary hearing at the Laganside Courts in Belfast, ahead of an inquest into his death.
Coroner Joe McCrisken heard that Mr Wylie’s family are set to make submissions around the scope of the inquest and disclosure of material. He confirmed that preliminary applications for disclosure of material will be made to the PSNI and the Police Ombudsman.
Speaking outside court, solicitor Michael Clements of KRW Law, acting for the Wylie family, said: “We will say there is an arguable case of state breaching its positive obligation to take all reasonable steps to protect against loss of life.
“Mr Wylie’s murder took place within a much wider context of several other murders perpetrated by dissident republicans over a four-year period from 2018-2022.
“Our clients suspect there may be links, including a very specific concern that at least one of the murderers was involved in the murder of Sean Fox in 2022.
“The family have tried to get answers from the PSNI criminal investigation, Police Ombudsman and by way of Freedom of Information Act requests but to date remain very frustrated given the standard block response of neither confirm nor deny on key issues of an intelligence nature.
“They hope the inquest will help dispel rumours and conjecture over what happened and that in turn will give them some measure of closure.”
The next preliminary hearing is set to take place on May 19.
