THE inquest into the murder of a Dermott Hill man shot dead by the UDA has heard witness statements from residents who came to his aid the night of the gun attack.
Paul ‘Topper’ Thompson (25) was shot dead in a Grab-a-Cab taxi whilst being given a lift home by an employee, who was himself injured in the attack in Springfield Park on April 27, 1994.
The family of Paul Thompson consider that there is evidence to suggest that the calls to and from the ‘Grab-a-Cab’ were monitored by a scanning device used by loyalist paramilitaries. The family have since expressed concerns that the call for a ‘pick up’ in Springfield Park that evening may have been a deliberate decoy. The weapon used was a sub-machine gun that has been linked to five attempted killings over the period 1990 to 1993.
Prior to Paul’s murder, his family state that he was subjected to police harassment and believe that the RUC had evidence that the taxi firm was the subject of a credible threat.
FLASHBACK: How the Andersonstown News reported the killing of Paul Thompson in April 1994
On the morning of the murder residents notified the RUC that the ‘peace line’ separating Springfield Park and Springmartin Road had been compromised by the creation of a hole and no action was taken to either repair it or provide security for the members of the community, though it was known that the area was subject to regular attacks by loyalist paramilitaries.
As the inquest continued this week, Banbridge Court House heard evidence from a number of residents in Springfield Park who vented their anger at the failure of the authorities to respond to their calls that day for assistance and believe this lack of action resulted in their worst fears being realised – the loss of life later that night.
One resident who had been involved in going door-to-door to notify residents earlier that day of the risk to their safety due to the hole in the ‘peace line’, was one of the first on the scene and tried to assist Mr Thompson as he lay dying.
In her evidence, she said she was called as a witness in the inquest as the police and NIO “did nothing” and the family and community still have not got answers from the authorities.
Evidence was heard from another local resident who was a nurse who outlined how she rushed to administer first aid to Mr Thompson and the other injured victim when she heard the gunshots.
She confirmed that while she was terrified she might also have been at risk, she acted on instinct and ran out to help the victims after calling for an ambulance. She outlined her frustration that the RUC failed to provide any assistance to her despite her asking for it, with only a paramedic soldier assisting in rendering first aid to Mr Thompson.
Senior counsel for Paul’s only surviving next-of-kin, his brother, Eugene Thompson, Ms Monye Anyadike-Danes KC conveyed on behalf of him and his late mother, deep gratitude to these residents who risked their own personal safety while attending to Mr Thompson with the risk of further attack still possible.
The hearing continues.
