(William Scholes, Irish News)

The wife of murdered Co Tyrone nationalist councillor Patrick Kelly has spoken of her concern at police attempts to arrange a meeting at which the family's solicitor would not be present.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Hunter, the West Midlands officer leading the latest investigation into the 29-year-old murder, visited the family's parish priest, Father John McKenna, in Trillick last Monday night.

The Kelly family's solicitor Pat Fahy said: "Mr Hunter asked him to arrange a meeting between the family and the police at which their solicitor would not be present."

Fr McKenna confirmed Mr Hunter had made the request.

Mr Kelly's widow, Teresa, said she was concerned that police were trying to speak to her and her children while they had no legal advice.

"I can't understand why they would want to do that," she said.

The Irish News yesterday (Monday) asked the police why Fr McKenna had been asked to facilitate a meeting at which Mr Fahy would not be present, but police did not comment.

Mr Kelly, a father of four who died without knowing that his wife was pregnant with their fifth child, was killed as he drove home from the bar he managed in Trillick on July 24 1974.

Police launched a new inquiry into the murder last Tuesday against a background of claims that the 33-year-old was murdered by a UDR patrol, that the RUC botched the original investigation and that security forces subsequently colluded to keep the killers out of jail.

The family who are campaigning for an independent inquiry are now refusing to cooperate with Mr Hunter's team after the investigation was launched without their knowledge.

At a meeting with Mr Hunter in their solicitor's office on July 9 the family were told that they would be involved in the media launch of the investigation.

On July 11 Mr Hunter wrote to the family, saying he looked "forward to working with the family to move this investigation forward".

"In order to maximise the media launch and to prevent those who may have had a part to play in the death of Mr Kelly being alerted before I am ready, I would appreciate it if neither you or the family contacted the press before we have collectively decided the way forward," his letter continued.

The style of the 'media launch' – a press release emailed to newsrooms on Tuesday morning without the family's knowledge – has angered the Kelly family and led them to conclude that the police investigation has been fatally and intentionallycompromised.

Mrs Kelly said: "I don't feel the investigation is going to go anywhere now. I might have had a bit of hope and we had given him (Mr Hunter) the benefit of the doubt."

Her son Barry (33) said: "We were prepared to meet Mr Hunter half way and tell him anything we thought as long as he showed us he was doing everything he could to bring it on. After the other day that's gone out the window altogether."

This article appeared first in the August 5, 2003 edition of the Irish News.

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