Sperrins murder victim's sister appeals for justice

Geraldine Gormley, who lives in the Waterside, this week said a deep hole has existed in her family circle since the killing on September 13, 2004, and that the hole has remained largely because of the lack of justice for her late brother.

Patrick Devine was found dead in his remote farmhouse in the Sperrin Mountains. He had been shot nine times at close range.

Patrick was a successful sheep farmer and had bought tracts of land locally, and at the time of his death it had been thought this was the cause of some resentment in the local community.

According to Geraldine, Patrick had been subjected to a previous attack, and now, as she faces the sixth anniversary of his death, she has appealed for anyone in the community who may know who committed the murder to contact the police so that the family can have some peace. In addition she urged the police to make all evidence they had gathered so far available.

"I am appealing for information from the PSNI on the murder. It is now six years further on and I want the PSNI to make full discloure of whatever they have disccovered about my brother's murder," she said.

"I also want to appeal for anyone with information about my brother's murder, who have not yet gone to the police, to do so. The family is lost, it is frustating not to know anything. We have heard stories about who was involved but there has never been any proof. We just want the truth to come out. It plays on your mind the fact we have never had any answers," the distraught woman said.

Still coming to terms with her brother's brutal death, Geraldine said that instead of having his company or the answers they craved, she and other family members only had memories.

In a letter she wrote to her brother to mark the sixth anniversary, she has recalled her personal memories, telling him she thinks of him every day.

She wrote: "What comes to mind is his sense of humour. You just couldn't help laughing. An instance was when he was driving the car to Mass and looking in the mirror at himself. We all ended up in the sheugh. Through most of his life we remember him working tirelessly every day. Nothing was ever too much for him and he did it with great patience and calm. Patrick was very kind-hearted and honest, if he owed you a penny or if you owed him, he was up-front about it. He valued his religion and never left home without blessing himself. We miss Patrick so much, he didn't deserve this."

Reflecting on her letter to her brother, Geraldine added: "Patrick's killing left a deep hole in our lives, and we know that having answers will not bring Patrick back, but it will give us some peace. We want justice for Patrick."