A statement from the Finucane family on the murder of William Stobie
PFC | 12 December 2001
The Finucane family are shocked at the murder of Billy Stobie. The family did not want him murdered nor did they want him prosecuted. All they wanted was the truth.
There have been too many murders and too many grieving relatives.
If a public enquiry had been established into Pat's murder instead of the Steven's police investigation, Billy Stobie could have been granted anonymity and his identity unknown and he would probably still be alive today.
End of Statement.
Background on William Stobie from the Pat Finucane Centre:
William Stobie, the former RUC Special Branch agent who supplied the guns used in the murder of Pat Finucane has been shot dead earlier this morning at a flat in north Belfast. Stobie, a former UDA quartermaster, had informed Special Branch in advance of the planned assasination of the prominent Belfast solicitor. An attempted prosecution of Stobie in connection with the Finucane murder and involvement in the earlier murder of Adam Lambert collapsed two weeks ago when a key witness was excused from giving evidence on medical grounds.
Stobie admitted his involvement in the Finucane murder ten years ago but neither the RUC nor the Director of Public Prosecutions took any action at the time fueling suspicions of state involvement in the killing. In a statement released through his lawyer following the collapse of the recent trial Stobie called for an inquiry into the the handling of the affair by the DPP and other agencies.Though Stobie's allegations have been in the public domain for some time the British Government have refused to grant the international demands for such an inquiry. Now the key witness has been silenced. By who? Ulster Television (UTV) carried an interview with Stobie in a programme broadcast last week.