THE family of the late Michael Leonard who was shot dead by members of the RUC on May 17, 1973, have welcomed support from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council after a motion was passed for a new inquest to be held into the killing of the 24-year-old.
Cllr Siobhán Currie who initially brought the motion to the council table has called on The Attorney General to grant a fresh and transparent inquest into the killing of Michael Leonard; The Police Ombudsman to undertake an immediate criminal investigation into the actions of the personnel travelling in the Police Land Rover from which the shots directed at Michael Leonard’s car were fired; and, the British MOD and the PSNI to fully co-operate with any fresh investigation into the killing of Mr Leonard, including making available all relevant Police and Military records and with the location of potential witnesses.
“Michael Leonard was shot dead by members of the RUC on a quiet country road, about 200m from the Donegal Fermanagh border at Letter. His only crime was that he was driving whilst disqualified,” explained Cllr Currie.
“The police would go on to claim that Michael failed to stop at a checkpoint and, at the inquest, that a single accidental shot fired resulted in his death.
“There was no checkpoint, that is an acknowledged fact. We know now that three shots were fired.”
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