The family of a Catholic student who was shot dead by loyalists 11 years ago is to ask the Police Ombudsman to investigate allegations that an RUC detective supplied the information that led to his murder.
Catholic Gerard O'Hara (18) was shot dead by UFF gunmen from Johnny Adair's 'C' Company at his North Queen Street home in north Belfast shortly before 5pm on Sunday September 27 1992.
Mr O'Hara was shot 17 times when two gunmen burst into his home as he sat down to watch television with his mother Bridie.
As the gunmen ran into his home Mr O'Hara managed to slam the door of the living room shut in a vain attempt at keeping the killers at bay.
But one of the gunmen dropped to his knees and shot at the teenager through a glass panel in the bottom of the door.
Bridie O'Hara pleaded with the gunmen to shoot her instead of her son.
As the teenager lay dying on the floor the gunmen shot him in the head from point-blank range.
But a new book detailing the activities of Johnny Adair and the UFF's 'C' Company alleges that a CID officer told a loyalist being questioned in Castlereagh that a brother of Mr O'Hara had been involved in the murder of a British soldier just weeks before.
The allegation was later proved to be untrue.
More than 1,000 people attended Gerard O'Hara's funeral, including Church of Ireland bishop Samuel Poyntz.
The public revulsion surrounding Mr O'Hara's murder, led then secretary of state Patrick Mayhew to say: "I did not know, and shall never know, young Gerard O'Hara."
"But I am going to remember his name. Let the scarlet wickedness of his murder never fade from memory in Northern Ireland."
Describing how the teenager's mother had pleaded with the gunmen to spare her son by killing her instead, he said: "In the threat of the supreme act of hate that shot down Gerard O'Hara in his 19th year had called forth from his mother the enormous act of love that offered her life for his."
The dead boy's father thanked Protestant people from nearby Tigers Bay who had sent flowers and sympathy cards following the murder.
Appealing for no retaliation, the teenager's father said: "This is no IRA house, our door is open to Protestants and Catholics alike."
An RUC detective told the inquest that the 18-year-old had no connection to any paramilitary group.
But Mr O'Hara's family is now to ask the Police Ombudsman to investigate the allegation that her youngest son was killed because of information supplied by an RUC detective.
"The police are supposed to be protecting the people, but here was a policeman giving information to loyalists that led to my son's murder," Mr O'Hara said.
At the time of the killing the O'Hara family questioned how an RUC search of their livingroom had failed to recover four bullets lying where the teenager was killed.
"We always knew there was collusion in Gerard's murder but could never prove it," Mr O'Hara said.
"Now we want Nuala O'Loan to re-open the case.
"The UFF killed my youngest son but it was with information passed to them by the RUC.
"My son deserves justice and we intend to make sure that that happens."
The book, Mad Dog, the Rise and Fall of Johnny Adair and 'C' Company claims that the same CID man later urged a 'C' Company gunman to target Sinn Féin.
It claims the detective also suggested several places they could attack, including a bar on the Falls Road and the party's headquarters in Andersonstown.
The book claims that the murder was carried out by notorious 'C' Company killer Steven 'Top Gun' McKeag.
The paramilitary died of a drug overdose in 2000.
Another loyalist linked by the book to the murder of the Catholic teenager was later jailed for 16 years for possession of weapons and conspiracy to murder.
The charges did not relate to the O'Hara killing.
It is understood that the allegation that information which led to the attack on the O'Hara's home was supplied by an RUC detective, came from the second gunman, who was one of Johnny Adair's closest allies.
In 2002 the loyalist was jailed in connection with a bomb scare at a Catholic primary school and since his release from prison earlier this year has joined other 'C' Company exiles in Bolton.
