29.10.04
Irelandclick.com
The search for justice
It is six years since Ardoyne man Brian Service was
murdered by the UDA as he walked home along Alliance Avenue. His parents David and Ann tell the North Belfast News of their ongoing struggle to come to terms with Brian’s death, and their hunger for justice
This weekend marks the sixth anniversary of the death of North Belfast man Brian Service, a Catholic who was brutally murdered by two masked UDA men as he walked home along Alliance Avenue.
His parents Ann and David Service didn’t know until the following day and when they did receive the terrible news, their world fell apart.
The Good Friday Agreement had been signed just months beforehand, the IRA and UDA had called ceasefires and the North of Ireland was, seemingly, entering a new era without ‘hostilities’.
Speaking to the North Belfast News on the eve of their son’s sixth anniversary, which falls on October 31, Ann and David reveal how angry they are at the PSNI for failing their son’s memory by not finding and bringing Brian’s killers to justice.
“It is like Brian is the forgotten victim,” Ann Service said.
“The PSNI did him an injustice by not bringing his killers to court at the time, even though they told us they knew who they were, and now they are doing him another injustice by closing the case and not actively trying to bring his killer to book,” Ann Service said.
“It makes you feel worthless. It makes Brian’s life seem worthless and that’s something that I and my husband find very hard to take. I don’t want a pound of flesh, I just want justice.”
Ann and David had three children. David is the eldest, Brian was in the middle and Martin is the youngest. They have seven grandchildren.
On the night before Halloween, Friday October 30, Brian had been visiting his brother David’s home.
After drinking a few cans of beer and watching TV he decided to walk home.
“Brian left our house about midnight,” his brother David recalled to the authors of Ardoyne: The Untold Truth.
“I left him to the door and we had a few words together. He wasn’t fearful leaving the house. Because of the so-called ceasefires at the time everybody was in a more relaxed way of thinking and he just decided to walk home that night.
“Brian was dead within twenty minutes of leaving the house. The thing I’ll always have to live with is he was dead and I didn’t know.
“That was a massive shock to me and my whole family. My mother phoned about 7.45am and you don’t expect to hear bad news.
“It was one almighty scream down the phone. ‘Your brother is dead, he was shot last night’.”
When the news spread of Brian’s murder, Ann and David’s house was inundated with relatives, neighbours, politicians and members of the clergy.
Those days are fuzzy for them, it seemed that the number of people arriving would never end.
The community was in shock. No one could believe that those days were back.
A vigil was held on the very spot where Brian died.
But then, according to Ann who was 59 at the time and Davy who was 64, it all went very quiet.
“I had heard that that happens. It’s when everyone goes away that you realise. The grief we felt was terrible and all consuming.
“The police called round a couple of times, maybe twice I think about the case, but that was it.
“They said they knew who did it but they didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute. That was it. We couldn’t believe it,” Ann Service said.
“I think after a while we started to feel angry then. Who was going to bring my son’s killers to justice? Where were the police and our MLAs helping us in our quest?
“We were supposed to be part of a changing process, one that we voted for, and you’re supposed to be looking towards the future, but how could we with this injustice hanging over our heads? The questions went on and on.
“I think we felt forgotten and Brian’s death meant nothing, except as a test posed by loyalists to see if the Ardoyne community would react and take up arms.
“He was the first in Ardoyne after the Good Friday Agreement was signed and we felt very bitter.”
Since then, although Brian’s killers still haven’t felt the weight of the law, Ann and David said somehow this year they found living a little bit easier.
“The pain gets a little easier to bear.
“It has taken six years and being on anti-depressants to get to this stage where I feel that I can laugh again without feeling guilty,” Ann said.
“Before I felt that I couldn’t do that. I was so depressed.
“Now when Davy jokes around I can laugh back. It’s a relief to be able to do that.”
The joy of seven grandchildren, three of which were born after Brian’s death, has helped that process.
“New life into the family is always something to celebrate. It was wonderful when David’s wife had a little girl first and then Martin’s wife had twins, a boy and girl. We were delighted and still are.”
Brian’s death profoundly affected the Service family in may ways, not least of which their faith in God.
Both Ann and David have since lost their faith in after Brian was murdered.
“We haven’t lost faith in the church, but we have lost faith in God,” Ann said.
“We don’t go to mass anymore because to do so would be false. Religion is a very personal matter, but it has been hard to believe.
“I hope there is a God, I really do,” Ann added.
“Because even though we’re having trouble believing there is, that means someday we will see our son Brian in heaven. We’ll be together again.”
info@irelandclick.com
Journalist:: Áine McEntee
The search for justice
It is six years since Ardoyne man Brian Service was
murdered by the UDA as he walked home along Alliance Avenue. His parents David and Ann tell the North Belfast News of their ongoing struggle to come to terms with Brian’s death, and their hunger for justice
This weekend marks the sixth anniversary of the death of North Belfast man Brian Service, a Catholic who was brutally murdered by two masked UDA men as he walked home along Alliance Avenue.
His parents Ann and David Service didn’t know until the following day and when they did receive the terrible news, their world fell apart.
The Good Friday Agreement had been signed just months beforehand, the IRA and UDA had called ceasefires and the North of Ireland was, seemingly, entering a new era without ‘hostilities’.
Speaking to the North Belfast News on the eve of their son’s sixth anniversary, which falls on October 31, Ann and David reveal how angry they are at the PSNI for failing their son’s memory by not finding and bringing Brian’s killers to justice.
“It is like Brian is the forgotten victim,” Ann Service said.
“The PSNI did him an injustice by not bringing his killers to court at the time, even though they told us they knew who they were, and now they are doing him another injustice by closing the case and not actively trying to bring his killer to book,” Ann Service said.
“It makes you feel worthless. It makes Brian’s life seem worthless and that’s something that I and my husband find very hard to take. I don’t want a pound of flesh, I just want justice.”
Ann and David had three children. David is the eldest, Brian was in the middle and Martin is the youngest. They have seven grandchildren.
On the night before Halloween, Friday October 30, Brian had been visiting his brother David’s home.
After drinking a few cans of beer and watching TV he decided to walk home.
“Brian left our house about midnight,” his brother David recalled to the authors of Ardoyne: The Untold Truth.
“I left him to the door and we had a few words together. He wasn’t fearful leaving the house. Because of the so-called ceasefires at the time everybody was in a more relaxed way of thinking and he just decided to walk home that night.
“Brian was dead within twenty minutes of leaving the house. The thing I’ll always have to live with is he was dead and I didn’t know.
“That was a massive shock to me and my whole family. My mother phoned about 7.45am and you don’t expect to hear bad news.
“It was one almighty scream down the phone. ‘Your brother is dead, he was shot last night’.”
When the news spread of Brian’s murder, Ann and David’s house was inundated with relatives, neighbours, politicians and members of the clergy.
Those days are fuzzy for them, it seemed that the number of people arriving would never end.
The community was in shock. No one could believe that those days were back.
A vigil was held on the very spot where Brian died.
But then, according to Ann who was 59 at the time and Davy who was 64, it all went very quiet.
“I had heard that that happens. It’s when everyone goes away that you realise. The grief we felt was terrible and all consuming.
“The police called round a couple of times, maybe twice I think about the case, but that was it.
“They said they knew who did it but they didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute. That was it. We couldn’t believe it,” Ann Service said.
“I think after a while we started to feel angry then. Who was going to bring my son’s killers to justice? Where were the police and our MLAs helping us in our quest?
“We were supposed to be part of a changing process, one that we voted for, and you’re supposed to be looking towards the future, but how could we with this injustice hanging over our heads? The questions went on and on.
“I think we felt forgotten and Brian’s death meant nothing, except as a test posed by loyalists to see if the Ardoyne community would react and take up arms.
“He was the first in Ardoyne after the Good Friday Agreement was signed and we felt very bitter.”
Since then, although Brian’s killers still haven’t felt the weight of the law, Ann and David said somehow this year they found living a little bit easier.
“The pain gets a little easier to bear.
“It has taken six years and being on anti-depressants to get to this stage where I feel that I can laugh again without feeling guilty,” Ann said.
“Before I felt that I couldn’t do that. I was so depressed.
“Now when Davy jokes around I can laugh back. It’s a relief to be able to do that.”
The joy of seven grandchildren, three of which were born after Brian’s death, has helped that process.
“New life into the family is always something to celebrate. It was wonderful when David’s wife had a little girl first and then Martin’s wife had twins, a boy and girl. We were delighted and still are.”
Brian’s death profoundly affected the Service family in may ways, not least of which their faith in God.
Both Ann and David have since lost their faith in after Brian was murdered.
“We haven’t lost faith in the church, but we have lost faith in God,” Ann said.
“We don’t go to mass anymore because to do so would be false. Religion is a very personal matter, but it has been hard to believe.
“I hope there is a God, I really do,” Ann added.
“Because even though we’re having trouble believing there is, that means someday we will see our son Brian in heaven. We’ll be together again.”
info@irelandclick.com
Journalist:: Áine McEntee
