Pat Finucane Centre. Forensic photography, or the practice of taking photos at the scene of a crime, has been around for over a century. Hurled in opposite directions, they were both decapitated and their bodies dismembered. Unlike Jackson, Somerville was arrested in the wake of the Miami atrocity, but he refused to make a statement and was released without charge. 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. The music ranged from rock and country and western to Dixieland jazz. "Special Branch Agent colluded in Miami killings". [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]. 1.6K. [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. But two other UVF men, Thomas Crozier and James McDowell - both soldiers in the UDR - were jailed for life. Three photos, which have been cropped slightly and published below, show the extent of the injuries to Rainey's chest, back, arms and legs. [62] One report says it was stopped at a fake British Army checkpoint. Lightly built and standing less than 5ft 7in, he wasn't a stereotypical loyalist killer. He was charged with the Miami Showband murders and the attempted murder of bass player Stephen Travers, as well as the murder of Patrick Falls in 1974. The attack was carried out by loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and took place while the group, a popular cabaret band, were travelling home to Dublin after a performance. It is obvious, therefore, that the UVF patrol was justified in taking the action it did and that the killing of the three Showband members should be regarded as justifiable homicide. [89] Hudson, a Unitarian minister, had been a close friend of Fran O'Toole. [21][36] He suggested that had all gone according to plan, the loyalist extremists would have been able to clandestinely bomb the Republic of Ireland, yet claim that the band were republican bomb-smugglers carrying explosives on behalf of the IRA. [6], In early 1975, Merlyn Rees set up elections for the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention at which all of Northern Ireland's politicians would plan their way forward. [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. I got them with dum-dums". Browse 25,406 crime scene photos stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [3] The UVF would be once more banned by the British government on 3 October 1975. But our investigations this week revealed that shortly before he died, Jackson sent for self-confessed loyalist gunrunner Willie Frazer, also now deceased. Profitieren Sie von der globalen Reichweite, datengesttzten Erkenntnissen und einem Netzwerk von ber 340.000 Content-Anbietern von Getty Images, die exklusiv fr Ihre Marke Inhalte erstellen. Photograph: Independent News and Media/Getty Images A child of Northern Ireland's Troubles recalls that fateful night when The Miami Showband was ambushed by the Ulster Volunteer Force on this day in 1975. Organisieren, kontrollieren, verteilen und messen Sie alle Ihre digitalen Inhalte. Date: 12th November 1941 Means: Assassinated. [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. [98] In 2011, Journalist Kevin Myers denounced the attack with the following statement: "in its diabolical inventiveness against such a group of harmless and nave young men, it is easily one of the most depraved [of the Troubles]". He was then machine-gunned 22 times, mostly in the face, as he lay supine on the ground. [92], Travers also visited the home of Thomas Crozier, hoping to meet with him but the latter did not come to the door. [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. But by this time, he was ready to go to jail. [80] The same panel revealed that about six weeks before the attack, Thomas Crozier, Jackson and the latter's brother-in-law Samuel Fulton Neill, were arrested for the possession of four shotguns. "A hundred of your men haven't done what I've done," he told a UVF leader. 10th December, 2014. [51] An independent panel of inquiry commissioned by the Pat Finucane Centre has established that among the weapons actually used in the killings were two Sterling submachine guns and a 9mm Luger pistol serial no. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. Jackson was never charged with the Miami atrocity. They sprung terror attacks in south Armagh, south Down, east Tyrone and even as far away as south Derry. UVF serial killer John Somerville told how detectives repeatedly tried to persuade him to become Special Branch tout and avoid jail, No remorse: Miami Showband killer John Somerville. View On One Page Photo 22 of 51 ADVERTISEMENT () Start Slideshow . Jackson informed Frazer that John Somerville was due for release. It allows for commemoration and leaving of flowers at the location itself. Those responsible for the attack belonged to the Glenanne gang, a secret alliance of loyalist militants, Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) police officers and UDR soldiers. Verzamel, beheer en geef commentaar bij uw bestanden. The Miami Showband's surviving members Des Lee, Ray Miller and Stephen Travers Credit . Travers later recalled hearing one of the departing gunmen tell his comrade who had kicked McCoy's body to make sure he was not alive: "Come on, those bastards are dead. The Gruesome Death Scene Launch Gallery. In a rare interview with the BBC Spotlight programme before his death of kidney cancer in 2015, Somerville spoke only once and very briefly about the Miami Showband Massacre. [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. He also added that "that bomb was definitely placed there with a view to killing all in that band".[22]. At 2.30am, their Volkswagen minibus was stopped at a bogus military checkpoint, where gunmen in British Army uniforms ordered the band members to line up by the roadside. The Miami Showband were an Irish showband in the 1960s and 1970s led firstly in 1962 by singer Jimmy Harte, followed by Dickie Rock and later by Fran O'Toole. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. On April 17, 1975, Somerville and Jackson blew up a Catholic-owned cottage which was being renovated at Killyliss between Dungannon and Ballygawley. I passed out when the explosion happened and that was when I lost the gun, the glasses, and a UDR beret. By this time the gunmen had left the scene, assuming everyone else had been killed. As they were being questioned, Major Boyle and Lieutenant Somerville began to search the minibus. Tests done on the glasses, which were eventually traced back to McDowell, revealed that the lenses were of a prescription worn by just 1 in 500,000 of the population. A musician who survived the Miami showband massacre has, 40 years on, made an appeal to trace a young couple who helped him at the time. [4][18][28][29] As Crozier took down the information, a car pulled up and another uniformed man appeared on the scene. Boards zijn de beste plekken om beelden en videoclips op te slaan. In a report published in the Sunday Mirror in 1999, Colin Wills called the Miami Showband attack "one of the worst atrocities in the 30-year history of the Troubles". It was one of a series of four stamps issued by An Post, celebrating the "golden age of the Irish showband era from the 1950s to the 1970s".[24]. 3/2/2023 1:00 AM PT. [34] All the gunmen were members of the UVF's Mid-Ulster Brigade and had been lying in wait to ambush the band, having set up the checkpoint just minutes before. [56], Within 12 hours of the attack, the UVF's Brigade Staff (Belfast leadership based on the Shankill Road) issued a statement. Geraghty was engaged to be married. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [55] Robin Jackson died of cancer on 30 May 1998, aged 49. [46] Some time after the attack, RUC officers questioned Stephen Travers at Dublin Castle. They subsequently set up a roadblock with "all the trappings of a regular military checkpoint". They were: lead vocalist and keyboard player Fran O'Toole, 28, Catholic; guitarist Anthony (Tony) Geraghty, 24, Catholic, from Dublin; trumpeter Brian McCoy, 32, Protestant, from Caledon, County Tyrone; saxophonist Des McAlea (a.k.a. Het ontwerp van Getty Images is een handelsmerk van Getty Images. Crozier told police, and later a court, that he had not played a large part in the attack. December 29, 2022 by Corinne Sullivan. Pinnwnde sind ideal zum Speichern von Bildern und Videoclips. It was released under the heading Ulster Central Intelligence Agency Miami Showband Incident Report:[20][48][42]. [97] Irish Times diarist, Frank McNally, summed up the massacre as "an incident that encapsulated all the madness of the time". Miami Showband massacre survivors and relatives to get 1.5m in damages 'I wake up to these murders every day of my life,' band member Des McAlea tells court Expand The Miami Showband (from. [47][71] In his first parliamentary speech on 7 July 1987, Ken Livingstone MP told the House of Commons, "it was likely" that Nairac had organised the attack. The latest from Netflix's ReMastered series focusses on the Miami Showband massacre, which took place at Banbridge, Co. Down on July 31, 1975. Browse 22 the miami showband stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. John Somerville was born in 1940 into a respectable small farming family from outside Moygashel, Co Tyrone. [69] Stephen Travers decried: "We believe the only conclusion possible arising from the HET report is that one of the most prolific loyalist murderers of the conflict was an RUC Special Branch agent and was involved in the Miami Showband attack". [19], In 1994, Eric Smyth, a former UDR member and the husband of Brian McCoy's sister, Sheila, was killed by the IRA. In the ensuing confusion the UVF men opened fire on the band, killing three and wounding two. The two men were found shot dead nearby. Somerville said: "I'm not going to make excuses for my past. [53] It was believed he had been betrayed to the RUC by a member of the gang. By 1975, they had gained a large following, playing to crowds of people in dance halls and ballrooms across the island. Aged 70, he died of cancer of the kidney. This is one of the first real crime scene photos ever taken. [30] Travers, the band's new bass player, assumed he was a British Army officer, an opinion shared by McCoy. [19] In early 1973, Billy MacDonald (a.k.a. They Cloned Tyrone. [19], The 1975 line-up comprised four Catholics and two Protestants. Among the large crowd he spotted Billy McCaughey, a former police sergeant and convicted killer who had named his UVF accomplices to investigating detectives. O'Toole was noted for his good looks and popularity with female fans,[20] and was described by the Miami Showband's former bass guitarist, Paul Ashford, as having been the "greatest soul singer" in Ireland. No one forced me. [4] Two men had been observed acting suspiciously inside the Castle Ballroom during the band's performance that night, suggesting that the Miami Showband's movements were being carefully monitored. [81] Neill's car was one of those allegedly used in the Buskhill attack. "They also hoped he would one day take over the leadership of the organisation in mid-Ulster when Robin 'The Jackal' Jackson either stood down or was executed.". 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. Three band members were shot dead by loyalist gunmen. Everybody was respectful to Brian". But along with his friend Jackson, he helped build the UVF in mid-Ulster. [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. [4][21], The jocular mood of the gunmen abruptly ceased. The conflict in Northern Ireland, known as "the Troubles", began in the late 1960s. [63] The IRA has denied responsibility. UVF killer Wesley Somerville who died in the attack. 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. [18][27] The unsuspecting band members got out and were politely told to line up facing the ditch at the rear of the minibus with their hands on their heads. [86] Weir alleged the bomb used in the Miami Showband attack came from Mitchell's farm. His leadership was endorsed by the UVF's leader Gusty Spence. The band is remembered in the song "The Miami" by English folk singer-songwriter Jez Lowe on his album Jack Commons Anthem. Somerville told other paramilitary prisoners how detectives repeatedly tried to persuade him to become a Special Branch tout operating inside the UVF. "Robin Jackson and John Somerville had been very close friends since joining the Mid-Ulster UVF. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. [33], A stamp was issued in Ireland on 22 September 2010 commemorating the Miami Showband. On October 23, 1975, Somerville and Jackson led a UVF team in the savage murders of Peter McKearney (63) and his wife Jane (58) at their home near the Moy. There are also allegations that British military intelligence agents were involved. [35] Regarding the soldier with the English accent, Dillon wrote:[75]. But the Sunday World has also learned that on January 4 1976, Jackson was accompanied by John Somerville when he burst into the home of the O'Dowd family at Ballyduggan, near Gilford, shooting three of them dead. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. Others had already been convicted for the Miami attack and they wanted John to stay in the UVF, but to work for them," said a former loyalist prisoner who served time in prison with Somerville. He then drove to a lay-by on the Newry-Banbridge dual carriageway and met up with another five men, who were all wearing British Army uniforms. The HET said the killings raised "disturbing questions about collusive and corrupt behaviour". This is one of the last photographs taken of the band before the massacre on 31st July 1975. As they began to enter the vehicle, a bomb was detonated and both men were killed outright. 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. Two days before, Jackson and Somerville had carried out a bomb and gun attack at McGleenan's pub in Armagh, killing its owner Jack McGleenan and customers Patrick Hughes and Thomas Morris. Crozier had pleaded not guilty. 14 December 2011. Robin Jackson died of cancer in May 1998 aged 49. Griffin based her theory on the nine bullets that were fired from a Luger into McCoy's body and that Jackson's fingerprints were found on the silencer used for a Luger. A". Days before the Miami attack, Robin Jackson murdered William Hanna, the UVF commander in mid-Ulster. It would appear that the UVF patrol surprised members of a terrorist organisation transferring weapons to the Miami Showband minibus and that an explosive device of some description was being carried by the Showband for an unlawful purpose. Two of the gunmen were attempting to plant a time bomb on the vehicle, when it prematurely exploded and killed them. The mother of the late singer-rapper Aaron Carter released photos of the scene of his death Wednesday, calling for a "real . [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. In a police statement made following his arrest for possession of the silencer and Luger on 31 May 1976, Jackson maintained that a week before he was taken into custody, two RUC officers had tipped him off about the discovery of his fingerprints on the silencer; he also claimed they had forewarned him: "I should clear as there was a wee job up the country that I would be done for and there was no way out of it for me". By the mid-1980s, the showbands had lost their appeal for the Irish public; although The Miami Showband, albeit with a series of different line-ups, did not disband until 1986. The attack was carried out by loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and took place while the group, a popular cabaret band, were travelling home to Dublin after a performance. [19] [46][49] In 1993, Boyle was named by The Hidden Hand programme as one of the Dublin car bombers. The Glenanne gang was a loose alliance of loyalist extremists allegedly operating under the command of British Military Intelligence and/or RUC Special Branch. The band's road manager, Brian Maguire, had already gone ahead a few minutes earlier in the equipment van. About 10 gunmen were at the checkpoint, according to author and journalist Martin Dillon. [53] In a letter to the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Bombing of Kay's Tavern dated 22 February 2004, the Northern Ireland Office stated that: "The PSNI have confirmed that a 9mm Luger pistol was ballistically traced both to the murder of John Francis Green and to the Miami Showband murders. [8] The brigade was described by author Don Mullan as one of the most ruthless units operating in the 1970s. He wore a uniform and beret noticeably different from the others. [72][73] Surviving band members Stephen Travers and Des McAlea told police and later testified in court that a British Army officer with a "crisp, clipped English accent" oversaw the attack, the implication being that this was Nairac. 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. 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. And he wanted Frazer to ensure the Miami killer received any assistance he needed in adjusting to life on the outside. Hier knnen Sie Inhalte sammeln, auswhlen und Anmerkungen zu Ihren Dateien hinterlegen. During that strike on 17 May, the UVF carried out the Dublin and Monaghan car bombings, which killed 33 civilians.

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