BishopAccountability.org

Kincora boys home: Former military officer 'contradicted own claims'

By Kevin Sharkey
BBC News
July 6, 2016

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-36725599

Colin Wallace worked for the Army in Northern Ireland between 1971 and 1974.

Ten-year-old Brian McDermott was murdered in September 1973.

Mr Wallace previously admitted that he 'repeatedly lies, including to police'

A former military officer contradicted his own claims about the murder of a Belfast schoolboy in 1973, an inquiry has heard.

Colin Wallace worked for the Army in Northern Ireland between 1971 and 1974.

On Wednesday, the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry saw a document, from 1982, in which it is claimed he alleged the cover-up of the murder of Brian McDermott.

The document linked the murder to a paedophile ring at Kincora Boys' Home.

The inquiry into historical child sex abuse is examining allegations relating to the former home in east Belfast.

On Wednesday, the inquiry heard Mr Wallace had claimed "a cover-up of the Kincora ring was preventing the killers of 10 year-old Brian McDermott from being apprehended".

However in 2004, the former army press officer made a statement to the police in which he said: "I had no knowledge that would have linked anyone from the Kincora investigation to the murder of Brian McDermott."

Mr Joseph Aiken, counsel to the inquiry, told the panel on Wednesday that it was a matter of public record that Mr Wallace was engaged in "media manipulation" and "disinformation" in his career.

'Deception and dishonesty'

Mr Aiken also outlined in detail how, in other cases, evidence from Mr Wallace had been rejected by the Saville Inquiry into Bloody Sunday and by the Barron Inquiry in the Republic of Ireland.

The barrister also explained how Mr Wallace "in his own words" previously admitted that he "repeatedly lies, including to police".

Mr Aiken added that appeal court judges in a criminal court in the past had described Mr Wallace as "a person with a proven track record of deception and dishonesty".

Addressing the panel, Mr Aiken said that it was the case that "those who promote his claims in the media appear to ignore the facts I have just shown you".

He concluded: "That, you may consider, has a resonance with much of the reporting around the Kincora story".




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