PRESS RELEASE
ISSUED BY HARTE COYLE COLLINS, SOLICITORS & ADVOCATES ON BEHALF OF CLIENT JOHN MCDEVITT ISSUED 11TH SEPTEMBER 2026
Mr McDevitt
While I am disappointed with the Court of Appeal decision today, I am not deterred in my campaign to clear my name. I maintain my innocence in relation to this murder conviction and the other four offences including wounding of other soldiers. I maintain that the false confession used for the murder conviction was obtained using oppressive and coercive interview techniques by interviewing detectives. I never at any time transported either guns or gunmen to the scene. I will continue in my pursuit of justice until I am vindicated.
It is therefore my intention to go back to the Criminal Cases Review Commission for a third time. I want them to look at, in particular, the involvement of MI5, military intelligence and the role of the state agent Frank Hegarty in relation to the guns used to kill Private Neil Clarke and wound the other soldiers. This aspect of the police investigation/prosecution case against me which underpins the five convictions has never been fully explored, either by the police, the Prosecution Service, or by a court.
I am also aware that even as late as Tuesday of this week, a few days before this appeal decision, the PSNI confirmed that they had uncovered further complaint files against the interviewing police officers in my case. My legal team is yet to see these files. This information about the existence of these additional police complaint files was only provided some 3 months after my appeal was heard in June this year, and the judgment reserved.
These are just two of the important issues I will now revisit and ask the Criminal Cases Review Commission to compel discovery on.
I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank my family, supporters and legal team who have supported me throughout this appeal and indeed over the past 43 years in my pursuit for justice, and the people of Derry who have always accepted my innocence. i will not stop pursuing every avenue to clear my name.
Contact
Patricia Coyle
Harte Coyle Collins
Solicitors & Advocates
9-15 Queen Street
Belfast
BT1 6EA
02890 278227
