[41] Fran O'Toole attempted to run away, but was quickly chased down by the gunmen who had immediately jumped down into the field in pursuit. They sprung terror attacks in south Armagh, south Down, east Tyrone and even as far away as south Derry. [8] The brigade was described by author Don Mullan as one of the most ruthless units operating in the 1970s. Das Getty Images Design ist eine eingetragene Marke von Getty Images. [21][22], Their music was described as "contemporary and trans-Atlantic", with no reference to the Northern Ireland conflict. Although not a member of any loyalist paramilitary group,[26] he was a close friend of Harris Boyle and the two were often seen together. Hier knnen Sie Inhalte sammeln, auswhlen und Anmerkungen zu Ihren Dateien hinterlegen. [35], On 22 January 1976, a second UDR soldier, Sergeant James Roderick Shane McDowell (aged 29, an optical worker, also from Lurgan) was arrested and charged with the Miami killings. After meeting a new woman, Somerville settled on the Shankill and for a while he worked in the Harland and Wolff shipyard. 2023 Getty Images. He served in C Company, 11th Battalion UDR. The HET said the killings raised "disturbing questions about collusive and corrupt behaviour". "After the explosion, the red mist came down and I went mad with a machine-gun," he once told a fellow loyalist prisoner. The scene of the Miami Showband Killings on the A1 road at Buskhill in County Down, Northern Ireland, 31st July 1975. 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. [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. 1.6K. This is one of the last photographs taken of the band before the massacre on 31st July 1975. Notorious loyalist serial killer Robin Jackson. Video: Netflix. [22] Saxophone player Des McAlea, who had been standing closest to the minibus, was hit by its door when it was blown off in the explosion, but was not badly wounded. They had seven number one records on the Irish singles chart . "ReMastered: The Miami Showband . She furthermore opined that Jackson was the man Travers saw kicking McCoy's body to make sure he was dead. [84], The families held a press conference in Dublin after the report was released. They were driving home from a Gaelic football match in Dublin. By this time the gunmen had left the scene, assuming everyone else had been killed. [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. And six years later - seconds before he was handed four life sentences - his voice boomed across the courtroom: "I'm being sent to prison because I wouldn't become an informer like the rest of them," he yelled at the trial judge. Miami showband massacre Stock Photos and Images (9) See miami showband massacre stock video clips RF TTNAG4 - A plaque in Parnell Square, Dublin, Ireland to those who died in what became known as the Miami Showband Massacre in 1975 at Buskhill, Newry. [3] The UVF would be once more banned by the British government on 3 October 1975. "Billy Mac") took over as the group's frontman when the Simon brothers quit the band. 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. [53] The judge, by sentencing McDowell and Crozier to 35 years imprisonment each, had handed down the longest life sentences in the history of Northern Ireland; he commented that "killings like the Miami Showband must be stopped". [100] He did, however, express his concern over the fact that nobody was ever charged with his attempted murder. 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. [19][25][26] During "The Troubles" it was normal for the British Army to set up checkpoints at any time. Driven by a personal tragedy, a pianist-turned-lawyer navigates the complex world of divorce fighting for his clients to win by any means necessary. [56], Within 12 hours of the attack, the UVF's Brigade Staff (Belfast leadership based on the Shankill Road) issued a statement. In his flat - which few people visited - Somerville kept a large photograph of Robin Jackson on the wall of his living room. Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville were given UVF paramilitary funerals conducted by Free Presbyterian minister William McCrea, a Democratic Unionist Party politician. Findings in a report carried out by the PSNI's Historic Enquiries Team into the Miami atrocity stated that there was fingerprint evidence linking Robin Jackson to the attack. [9] According to authors Paul Larkin and Martin Dillon, Jackson was accompanied by Harris Boyle when he killed Hanna. [83] Journalists Kevin Dowling and Liam Collins in the Irish Independent however, suggested in their respective articles that Jackson had been the leader of the unit. Using self-loading rifles and sub-machine guns, the patrol shot back, killing three of their attackers and wounding another. . There was very little planning. More than 100 killings have been attributed to him by the Pat Finucane Centre, the Derry-based civil rights group.[15][17]. Two of the gunmen, both soldiers, died when a time bomb they were hiding on the minibus exploded prematurely. The Gruesome Death Scene Launch Gallery. [93], A monument dedicated to the dead Miami Showband members was unveiled at a ceremony at Parnell Square North, Dublin, on 10 December 2007. 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. His leadership was endorsed by the UVF's leader Gusty Spence. According to Martin Dillon, the order to shoot was given by the patrol's apparent leader, James McDowell,[36] to eliminate witnesses to the bogus checkpoint and subsequent bombing. [18] More uniformed men appeared from out of the darkness, their guns pointed at the minibus. And he wanted Frazer to ensure the Miami killer received any assistance he needed in adjusting to life on the outside. Travers had described the English-accented man as having been of normal height and thought he had fair hair, but was not certain. "Special Branch Agent colluded in Miami killings". [55] Robin Jackson died of cancer on 30 May 1998, aged 49. The Miami Showband killings (also called the Miami Showband Massacre) was an attack by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group, on 31 July 1975. [40] Three of the musicians were killed: lead singer Fran O'Toole, trumpeter Brian McCoy, and guitarist Tony Geraghty. Jackson was never charged with the Miami atrocity. [96], In a report on Nairac's alleged involvement in the massacre, published in the Sunday Mirror newspaper on 16 May 1999, Colin Wills called the ambush "one of the worst atrocities in the 30-year history of the Troubles". [36] Dillon opined that another reason the UVF decided to target the Miami Showband was because Irish nationalists held them in high regard; to attack the band was to strike the nationalists indirectly. But our investigations this week revealed that shortly before he died, Jackson sent for self-confessed loyalist gunrunner Willie Frazer, also now deceased. 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. Director Stuart Sender Writers Jeff Zimbalist Michael Zimbalist Stars Stephen Travers Bertie Ahern [62] One report says it was stopped at a fake British Army checkpoint. The scene of the Miami Showband killings in County Down, Northern Ireland, on 31 July 1975. Multiple jurors also cried, covered their mouths and turned away as the graphic. The ruthless UVF killer fell into a deep depression fuelled by alcohol. They also discovered a stolen white Ford Escort registration number 4933 LZ,[43] which had been left behind by the gunmen, along with two guns, ammunition, green UDR berets and a pair of glasses later traced to James McDowell, the gunman who had allegedly ordered the shootings. Using a similar terror technique, they set up another fake checkpoint at Cornalaght, Newtownhamilton. [13] Dillon suggested that because there were a number of UDR members in the UVF, and were planned to be used for the Miami Showband ambush, Hanna was considered to have been a "security risk", and the UVF decided he had to be killed before he could alert the authorities. [55] Both the silencer and pistol which was later established to have been the same one used in the Miami Showband killings were found by the security forces at the home of Edward Sinclair. This is one of the first real crime scene photos ever taken. [30] The UVF's plan was that the bomb would explode once the minibus had reached Newry, killing all on board. December 29, 2022 by Corinne Sullivan. 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. [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. Sometimes the showbands played traditional Irish music at their performances. [4], A continued allegation in the case has been the presence of Captain Robert Nairac at the scene. [97] Irish Times diarist, Frank McNally, summed up the massacre as "an incident that encapsulated all the madness of the time". [58], Following the post-mortems, funerals were held for the three slain musicians; they received televised news coverage by RT, Ireland's public service broadcaster. Organiseer, beheer, distribueer en meet al uw digitale content. 3/2/2023 1:00 AM PT. The plaque describes them as having been "killed in action". On 15 October 1976, Crozier and McDowell both received life sentences for the Miami Showband murders. [46] Some time after the attack, RUC officers questioned Stephen Travers at Dublin Castle. Journalist Emily O'Reilly noted in the Sunday Tribune that none of the three men convicted of the massacre ever implicated Nairac in the attack or accused him of causing Boyle's death. Then They Were Coldly Murdered", "An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland: 1975", "Sub-Committee on the Barron Report 26September 2006 Public Hearings on the Barron Report". Jackson had assumed command of the Mid-Ulster UVF just a few days before the Miami Showband attack, after allegedly shooting Hanna dead outside his home in Lurgan on 27 July 1975. One of these men, Lance-Corporal Thomas Raymond Crozier (aged 25, a painting contractor from Lurgan) of C Company, 11th Battalion UDR was charged with the Miami killings. [79] and that none of the perpetrators ever offered him an apology. The Miami Showband's surviving members Des Lee, Ray Miller and Stephen Travers Credit . [59] Two days later, Portadown disc jockey Norman "Mooch" Kerr, aged 28,[60] was shot dead by the IRA as he packed up his equipment after a show at the Camrick Bar in Armagh. The Miami Showband killings (also called the Miami Showband massacre)[1] was an attack on 31 July 1975 by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group. The Miami Showband killings (also called the Miami Showband Massacre) was an attack by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group, on 31 July 1975. Date: 12th November 1941 Means: Assassinated. Just after the arrival of this mysterious soldier, McCoy nudged Travers, who was standing beside him, and reassured him by saying "Don't worry Stephen, this is British Army". John Somerville was born in 1940 into a respectable small farming family from outside Moygashel, Co Tyrone. Krijg toegang tot het beste van Getty Images met ons eenvoudige abonnement. During that strike on 17 May, the UVF carried out the Dublin and Monaghan car bombings, which killed 33 civilians. [89] Hudson, a Unitarian minister, had been a close friend of Fran O'Toole. But he quit when the Troubles erupted on the streets of Belfast and Derry in the autumn of 1969. [62][64], On 24 August 1975, Catholic civilians Colm McCartney and Sean Farmer were stopped in their car at what is believed to have been another fake checkpoint at Altnamackin (near Newtownhamilton). Boards zijn de beste plekken om beelden en videoclips op te slaan. Chris Hudson, a former intermediary between the government of Ireland and the UVF, whose role was crucial to the Northern Ireland peace process. Pat Finucane Centre. However, the flames from the burning hedge (which had been set on fire by the explosion) soon came dangerously close to where he lay; he was forced to leave his hiding spot. The band is remembered in the song "The Miami" by English folk singer-songwriter Jez Lowe on his album Jack Commons Anthem. [78], The band's road manager, Brian Maguire stated that when he drove away from Banbridge in the lead, a few minutes ahead of the band's minibus, he passed through security barriers manned by the RUC. One of the first famous crime scene photos was taken on May 5, 1903, in the home of a Parisian woman named Madame Debeinche who had been murdered. Somerville told other paramilitary prisoners how detectives repeatedly tried to persuade him to become a Special Branch tout operating inside the UVF. Agent Elvis. [36], Des McAlea and Stephen Travers heard two of the gunmen rummaging in the back of the minibus, where they both kept their respective instruments. 2023 Getty Images. But by this time, he was ready to go to jail. The music ranged from rock and country and western to Dixieland jazz. 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. [22] He presently resides near Craigavon. 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. [101], A Netflix documentary titled ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre was released 22 March 2019, highlighting the efforts of Steve Travers to track down who authorized the attack, for what purposes, and to get an admission of culpability.[102][103]. There are also allegations that British military intelligence agents were involved. How are things? [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. In the ensuing confusion the UVF men opened fire on the band, killing three and wounding two. At no time did this new soldier speak to any of the band members nor did he directly address Crozier. It was . [62] However, police have blamed the IRA. [19] In early 1973, Billy MacDonald (a.k.a. [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. This had meant the possible withdrawal of British troops from Northern Ireland. The emergence of discos later in the decade meant that ballrooms were converted into nightclubs, leaving the showbands with few venues available in which to perform. [18][22] Meanwhile, two other gunmen at the front of the minibus were placing the briefcase containing the bomb under the driver's seat. The year 1975 was marked by an escalation in sectarian attacks and a vicious feud between the two main loyalist paramilitary groups, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). But as the death toll mounted, so did Somerville's drinking. [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. Millionen hochwertiger Bilder, Videos und Musiktracks warten auf Sie. Survivors Stephen Travers and Des McAlea were both present at the unveiling, as was the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, who made a tribute. It is fronted by McAlea, who returned to Northern Ireland the same year after living in South Africa since about 1982. With Dublin-born singer [Jimmy Harte] as frontman followed by Dickie Rock as frontman, the Miami Showband underwent many personnel changes over the years. The RUC suggested the IRA had meant to attack a police minibus in revenge for the Miami killings, but had mistakenly attacked a civilian minibus instead. Some wounds are a deep red, with blood vessels clearly visible; others expose underlying tissue. [37][38] This might have resulted in the Irish authorities enforcing tighter controls over the border, thus restricting IRA operations. The night after the Miami Showband massacre, gunmen shot a minibus near Gilford. Travers was not able to positively identify Nairac, from his photograph, as having been the man at Buskhill. The Luger was destroyed by the RUC on 28 August 1978. 10th December, 2014. Four Protestant civilians (two men and two women) and UVF member Hugh Harris were killed in the attack. Touts aren't welcome here.". Despite his conversion to Christianity, Somerville remained virulently anti-Catholic and he strongly opposed the Good Friday Agreement. It was found 100 yards (91m) from the site with a "UVF Portadown" tattoo on it. The scene of the Miami Showband killings in County Down, Northern Ireland, on 31 July 1975. [37] They had hoped to embarrass the Government of Ireland, as well as to draw attention to its level of control of the border. Major Boyle ordered his patrol to apprehend the occupants for questioning. [81] Martin Dillon maintained in The Dirty War that the Miami Showband attack was planned weeks before at a house in Portadown, and the person in charge of the overall operation was a former UDR man, whom Dillon referred to for legal reasons as "Mr. Both men had pleaded for their lives before they were shot; one had cried out, "Please don't shoot me don't kill me". Aaron Carter's mom releases shocking pictures of his 'death scene' bathroom in desperate bid to get cops to probe his death as a crime despite coroner saying it was an accidental drugs overdose 34575/04 by Sean McCartney against the United Kingdom: The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section)", "John Weir's Affadavit, Statement by John Weir 03.01.99", "On this day 15October: 1976: UDR men jailed for Showband killings", "Miami Showband massacre survivor shakes with anguish as he remembers his slain friends 40 years on", "Evidence clears Robert Nairac of murders he has been linked to: author", "MoD documents link Robert Nairac to Miami Showband massacre", "Statement of Miami Showband families and survivors in response to the findings of the Historical Enquiries Team into the murders of Anthony Geraghty, Brian McCoy and Francis O'Toole", "Day of 'The Jackal' has finally drawn to a close", "Robert Nairac in command at massacre says Miami guitarist", "Miami Showband Killer Dies at 70; UVF murderer Somerville found dead of cancer in his squalid flat", "Memorial to victims of Miami massacre to be unveiled in Dublin", "Miami Showband killings: Police tipoff helped suspect elude justice, says report", "Miami Showband massacre: HET raises collusion concerns", "Netflix fails to make sense of the Miami Showband Massacre", 'Remastered: The Miami Showband Massacre' On Netflix Unmasks a Conspiracy and False Flag Attack, Houses of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, "Interim Report on the Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings [The Barron Report]", "Interim Report on the Report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the Bombing of Kay's Tavern, Dundalk", Interim reports (more detail than final reports) of Irish parliamentary inquiries, Ceasefires of the Provisional IRA, UVF, UDA and RHC, Murders of Andrew Robb and David McIlwaine, Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miami_Showband_killings&oldid=1142010371, Improvised explosive device bombings in Northern Ireland, People killed by security forces during The Troubles (Northern Ireland), Articles with dead external links from April 2012, Articles with dead external links from May 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from July 2020, Articles with dead external links from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 01:35. As the UUUC would not abide any form of power-sharing with the Dublin government, no agreement could be reached and the convention failed, again marginalising Northern Ireland's politicians and the communities they represented.