Coroners court told of new witness in the Kingsmill murders case

By Siobhan Fenton, Press Association

A new witness has been identified in the Kingsmill murders case who has information on whether a British undercover soldier was at the scene, a coroner's court has been told.

Ronan Daly, representing the coroner's office, said it was understood the witness had information relating to whether or not Captain Robert Nairac was there on the night in January 1976 when 10 Protestant workmen were gunned down by republican paramilitaries.

The lawyer informed the court of the development at a review inquest hearing in Belfast.

"We have been notified in correspondence that the Ministry of Defence has located another witness who attended the scene at Kingsmill," he said.

Capt Nairac was abducted from a bar in South Armagh the following year and murdered by the IRA.

The inquest has previously heard claims the soldier was involved in the Kingsmill killings, however this was subsequently disputed by a Ministry of Defence lawyer who insisted the soldier was not in the area at the time of the massacre.

The incident unfolded when workmen in a minibus were stopped by gunmen near the village of Kingsmill in rural South Armagh.

The workers were lined up at the side of the road and the only Catholic among them was ordered to flee.

Ten of the men were then shot dead. An 11th man, Alan Black, survived despite being seriously injured.

Witnesses have said the attackers then crossed the Irish border into Monaghan before crossing again to Armagh.

No-one has ever been held to account for the murders.

Last year an inquest into the killings was opened but was halted after just one month in June 2016 when the Police Service of Northern Ireland arrested a man in connection with the case.

However, the decision was made not to prosecute the man due to insufficient evidence.

The inquest was subsequently resumed this year. Proceedings have now been adjourned until November 6.