Authors: David Lowe
The security services had further successes as the Police Service of Northern Ireland traced O’Byrne to an address in Portadown and arrested him. Along with McCullagh, Maguire, Connell, and McElvaney, the five men were due to stand trial at the Old Bailey in London in a week’s time, while the six arrested in Liverpool had already been convicted two weeks earlier for a variety of terrorist related offences. Having received a letter from McElvaney’s solicitor at their CTU office in Manchester stating McElvaney had requested to see the two officers prior to the trial, the CTU had arranged for a visiting order to enable the two officers to see him in the prison.
As the door to the room opened, both turned to see a handcuffed McElvaney being brought in by two prison officers. One closed the door and stood by it while the second officer escorted the Irishman to the opposite side of the desk David and Steve were sat at. Unlocking the handcuffs the prison officer took them off McElvaney’s wrists and said curtly ‘Sit down,’ and looked at the Special Branch officers. ‘We’ll be outside by the door. If he kicks off or when you finish with him, press this button here.’ The prison officer pointed to a small push button on the desk in between Steve and David.
The prison officers left the room closing the door behind them. David looked at McElvaney and said, ‘This is irregular Danny. You know we can’t discuss next week’s case, so what do you want to see us about?’
‘I’ve a message for you from my brigade commander. I’m only the messenger, so I’ve got no part in this. If you agree that you’ll do nothing to me, I’ll tell you.’
David looked at Steve, who nodded they should let McElvaney say what he had to. ‘I agree,’ David said.
‘We know what you did to Sean McCrossan in Ireland.’
‘I know that! I told Maguire what happened when I arrested him,’ David said wondering where this was going.
‘We know it was murder. There was a fifth member near the farm that you never found and she saw it all,’ then looking at Steve, McElvaney said, ‘and we reckon you killed Dave Mahoney in cold blood. Us three go back many years and my brigade commander wants you to know that the threat made to you in ninety-six, has been taken up by the Real IRA and our associates.’
‘Your associates?’ Steve asked.
‘He wants you to know the Real IRA has friends with other non-Irish groups active here in Britain and the rest of the world. He wants me to make sure that you know the threat I gave you all those years ago about being dead men is no longer a threat. It’s now an order that’s been given by the senior command of the Real IRA. And believe me that order will be carried out.’
Deep down, David knew McElvaney was serious. Leaning across the table he said, ‘Your threat or order as you call it, doesn’t frighten me and I know Al Qaeda were funding your operation last summer. I saw it with my own eyes. So tell me something I don’t know.’
McElvaney paused for a moment and stared at David and said, ‘I know what I’ve said has got to you. You know how close we got to your sister. It’s only a matter of time before we get to you,’ and looking at Steve he said, ‘and you. My commander wants you to know that all you did was postpone our activities in Britain and we
will
be back. It’ll be sooner than you think. When we are, you two and your families will know about it.’
‘That’s threats to kill,’ Steve said sitting back in his seat, ‘that’s enough to give you and your mates an extra ten years.’
‘Let’s be honest DC Adams, none of us are going to get short sentences for what happened are we?’
‘No,’ Steve said.
‘So your threats make no difference to me. For the rest of your lives, you’ll both have to keep looking over your shoulder. Now press that button. I’m finished. I’ve nothing else to say.’
As Steve went to press the button David grabbed his hand and stopped him. Hurst stood up, pushed the chair he was sitting on across the room and leaning across the table, his eyes narrowing, he glared at McElvaney. Unlike most of the investigations he was involved with, this one had got under his skin the most. Running through his mind was how the man sat opposite him was the first to give David a death threat and how this Real IRA cell had targeted his family. For David it was personal. The Real IRA had crossed the line first, not him. Looking McElvaney directly in the eye and pointing his right index finger in his face he said, ‘This interview’s not finished, I’ve got more to say. I’ll tell you when this interview’s fucking finished. You don’t scare me and Steve anymore. I personally wiped out fucking McCrossan and the others in Ireland, Steve took out Mahoney and you and the others are behind bars. You can’t even trust your new mates, Al fucking Qaeda. They hunted down and killed Murphy in Turkey. Now that’s efficiency, not like you fucking bunch of shitheads. You had years to get us two, but you couldn’t do it.
‘You said to me when we first met that I had no Irish blood in me. Well guess what? You’re fucking wrong. I’ve got Irish blood and an English heart and that’s the worse combination fucking thugs like you can come across. Here’s fucking why. You’ve not only touched the cloth by killing police officers in Ireland and now in England, which makes us really angry, you tried to get my family. That my friend makes me so fucking angry you can’t imagine what I want to do with the lot of you. I’m not talking to you as a police officer, but as a Liverpool born Irishman. I’ve so many connections in Ireland you can’t even fucking comprehend how and when they will get you and your mates if you touch me or mine. As I’ve got so many connections in Liverpool, your lot’ll never get anywhere near my family again. You fucking know that. When I twatted you and O’Byrne in the pub in Liverpool, most of the punters in there are Irish Catholics with a leaning towards the nationalist cause. They didn’t give a shit about you because you wanted to get me. I have people on both sides of the fence inside prison who owe me favours, so don’t think I can’t get to you while you’re inside this fucking shithole. So, your threats, orders whatever the fuck they are, don’t get to me anymore. Enjoy your life in your ten by twelve cell for the next thirty years while me and Steve go out of here free men. There’s no Good Friday Agreement coming up on the horizon that will let you out early like last time.’
David lowered his voice and said, ‘Years ago you made threats that I’ll admit had me and Steve fucking scared. They were the days when the Provisional’s had power. The Real Fucking IRA! You’ve no power! You’re fucking nothing more than wannabe murdering thugs without a cause. Even Sinn Fein agrees with that! You don’t scare me or Steve anymore.’
Leaning right across the table, into McElvaney’s ear, slowly emphasising each word, he whispered, ‘If . . . any of you . . . come near me or my family again . . . you’re a fucking dead man . . . that’s no threat
.
.
.
it’s
a
fucking
promise.
’
David pressed the button, turned his back on McElvaney and with Steve walked towards the door as the prison officers entered the room and strode towards the ashen faced McElvaney.