I tracked down ‘nutting squad’ killer who shot my brother, 19… IRA’s infamous informer Stakeknife’s betrayal was cruel

Battered and beaten aft being interrogated for 17 days by brutal IRA enforcers, teen Michael Kearney was handed a pint and told his ordeal was over.

The pursuing time helium was recovered dormant astatine the broadside of the roadworthy connected the borderline betwixt Northern Ireland and the Republic - helium had been changeable doubly successful the backmost of the head.

The 19-year-old - who was executed by the paramilitary's infamous "nutting squad" successful in July 1979 - is present though to person been the archetypal unfortunate of notorious executioner Freddie Scappaticci.

From 1978 to 1994, astatine the tallness of the troubles successful Northern Ireland, the IRA killed implicit 40 alleged informers. 

But the antheral who often found, brutally tortured, and often killed these men and women was successful information an informant himself- with the chilling codename Stakeknife - and said to beryllium Britain's astir invaluable spy.

Directly linked to 18 murders, the cold-blooded slayer erstwhile told a captive that if helium had his mode helium would beryllium hung upside down successful a cowshed and nary 1 would perceive him squeal arsenic helium was skinned alive.

The would-be unfortunate Sandy Lynch was rescued by British information forces successful 1990 - and his seizure would lead to Scappaticci's downfall and the extremity of his reign of panic successful Northern Ireland.

Although Scappaticci's treble beingness arsenic an cause wrong the IRA was over, it would beryllium a further 13 years earlier helium was unmasked arsenic the shadowy fig codenamed Stakeknife.

Now a caller BBC podcast, Cover: Stakeknife, has uncovered shocking claims astir his engagement successful the execution of Michael Kearney.

Reporter Mark Horgan and Michael’s member Seamus person revealed claims that Stakeknife knew Michael was not a traitor to the IRA.

They besides recovered Stakeknife had passed connected accusation to the constabulary and information services that Michael had been court-martialled and interrogated by the IRA and that helium would beryllium killed.

Michael’s member Seamus, who's a erstwhile IRA man, says: “Michael was being interrogated by a British subject serviceman successful the signifier of Freddie Scappaticci. 

“We besides cognize connected July 6, it was Scappaticci who told the handler that Michael was court-martialled... [and] astatine his tribunal martial helium has been recovered blameworthy but helium has enactment successful an entreaty and it is improbable that the entreaty is going to succeed. That was his nonstop words. It is improbable that the entreaty is going to succeed.”

Secret informant

It is believed that British Military quality and the RUC Special Branch were informed connected 3 abstracted occasions that Michael was to beryllium killed.

Born to an Italian household which came to Belfast successful the 1940s and a bricklayer by trade, Scappaticci reportedly crossed implicit to assistance the British aft being beaten up by the IRA pursuing a enactment with a elder member.

By the precocious 70s helium was operating astatine the bosom of the IRA, wrong its interior information portion - known arsenic the "nutting squad" due to the fact that the informers it uncovered were interrogated, tortured and past changeable successful the head, the "nut".

When Michael Kearney was murdered, his member Seamus was successful situation - himself a convicted IRA terrorist.

He had joined the younker helping of the IRA erstwhile helium was conscionable a teenager, moving roadworthy blocks for them arsenic a 15-year-old.

He joined the IRA arsenic soon arsenic helium turned 18, but Seamus says helium ne'er spoke to his younger member astir it.“When I was successful the IRA I didn’t sermon thing with him,” helium explains.

“He was much funny successful going to dances, going to cars. He loved aged cars, fixing them and driving them around.”

In 1977 Seamus was convicted of conspiring to execution a subordinate of the information services arsenic good arsenic possessing firearms and ammunition. He was sentenced to 14 years successful prison.

He aboriginal joined the IRA broad protests arsenic a captive and by June 1979 helium was 2 years into his condemnation successful the notorious H Block prison.

Seamus says: “He didn’t look to beryllium funny truthful that’s what I was amazed erstwhile idiosyncratic told maine helium was successful the IRA. I asked (their different brother) Sean astir that and helium says you are the crushed wherefore helium joined. That was the lone reason, the H Block thing, helium was upset. So I felt guilty. I volition ever consciousness guilty. I volition consciousness blameworthy for the remainder of my life.”

On June 20 1979, Michael was stopped by British troops adjacent his location successful Belfast and arrested by the RUC. 

He was searched and recovered to beryllium successful possession of the keys of a commandeered vehicle. He was taken to Castlereagh constabulary presumption and questioned for 3 days.

Raised suspicions

When helium was released from custody helium followed the modular IRA process for idiosyncratic successful his presumption - they indispensable conscionable with the serviceman successful bid of their portion and constitute a debrief report.

In Michael’s debrief helium wrote: “The lone interruption from the interviews is erstwhile they went down for their meals and enactment maine successful my compartment for my meals, which I refused to take.

"During this time I was perpetually humiliated, punched successful the stomach, clipped crossed the balls and made to bash carnal exercises. At astir 9.45am I broke and told them astir the flat. They threw maine backmost to the cell.”

During his interrogation Michael had told constabulary wherever a tiny stash of waterlogged explosives was successful a shop.

His study goes on: “At astir 12 O’Clock they came backmost and told maine they had got the worldly from the flat. They past told maine they were charging maine with hijacking, rank and conspiracy to execution and kidnapping due to the fact that forensics they said proved that I was successful the car and I was caught with the keys successful my possession.

“At 12 O’clock they brought maine up and said they were charging maine with each these charges unless I gave them much information. I told them I wished to beryllium charged and wanted retired of Castlereagh. This is erstwhile they made a deal. They said if we fto you spell volition you go an informer for us?”

Michael said helium didn’t know, maybe. He aboriginal said helium conscionable wanted the interrogation to extremity to get retired of the station.

But by simply leaving the constabulary presumption without being charged with thing raised immense suspicions wrong the IRA.

17-hour interrogation

After gathering with his commanding serviceman and penning the study Michael was told helium would person to conscionable with the recently formed interior information portion of the IRA.

On 25 June, helium was told to spell to a roundabout wherever helium was picked up by 2 cars - 1 containing Freddie Scappaticci. He was driven southbound of the borderline to a location wherever helium was interrogated for 17 days.

From the commencement of the troubles Scappaticci had been a debased level subordinate of the IRA but rapidly worked up the ranks. He had been jailed connected the time the arguable Government argumentation of internment without proceedings started successful 1971. 

When helium was released successful 1974 helium became the commanding bureau of the Belfast brigade of the IRA, but was rearrested conscionable a fewer months later, celebrated successful the UK property arsenic the jailing of a top-ranking terrorist.

He was yet released connected the time the Government ended the argumentation of internment without proceedings successful December 1975.

But aft astir a decennary of warfare the IRA was processing a superior occupation with informers - recruiting members of the IRA became a large maneuver for some the RUC and the British Army.

Knife-edge treble life

So successful 1978 the terrorists formed an interior information portion to tackle the occupation - to hunt down informers wrong its ranks, interrogate them, and deter others - the outing squad.

By 1979 Scappaticci was 2nd successful bid of the IRA interior information unit. 

But successful his unthinkable knife-edge treble life, Scappaticci had besides go an experienced cause for British information forces and was allegedly detailing to his handlers precisely what was happening to Michael Kearney.

On July 11, aft 17 days of torture, Michael was told helium was leaving the interrogation location successful Dundalk.

Seamus says: “Michael is told helium is going location and helium is taken to the Imperial Hotel and a feline comes successful and sees him helium had a pint of Harp successful beforehand of him. He thinks helium is going home.”

This was the past sighting of Michael alive.

Seamus thinks they got Michael drunk earlier they drove him down windy state roads towards the borderline and his last fate.

Another car near the North to thrust South - the car containing the shooter. Michael was recovered changeable successful the head.

It was erstwhile Seamus was released from situation that his heartbroken parent begged him to find retired what had happened to Michael.

When helium archetypal started asking for answers successful enactment circles 1 sanction was mentioned - Freddie Scappaticci. Who helium besides learned was the treble cause Stakeknife.

He believes the information forces knew what was happening to his brother, wherever helium had been taken and crucially that helium wasn’t an informer.

Scappaticci died astatine his location successful Guildford, Surrey, past year. But Seamus believes if helium could’ve spoken to him helium whitethorn person got to the truth.

“So fundamentally if helium was present contiguous helium would accidental yes Seamus I was progressive successful the execution of your brother, I played a role. But I wasn’t  the lone one.”

Executioner confession

With his IRA connections,  Seamus managed to speech to the shooter - the antheral who killed his brother.

“He’s told 'you are coming down to sprout an informer.' That’s each helium is told. He gets retired of the car with a weapon. He says this large lad gets retired - (Michael) was tall, helium was 6ft 3in. He says the large lad wasn’t hooded and gagged. 

“And helium says 'I was amazed helium wasn’t wearing a hood oregon was gagged.' The 2 with him say, 'Mick you’re not going home.' He accepted it. And helium was brave, (the shooter) says helium was brave.

"He says 'can I accidental a prayer', that would beryllium emblematic of him, and helium started praying. He says 'I travel up down him and changeable him doubly successful the backmost of the caput and helium dropped'.”

Michael Kearney is believed to beryllium the archetypal of galore suspected informants tortured and murdered by Freddie Scappaticci and the unit.

“Death is thing to us,” says Seamus. “It means thing erstwhile you are successful a warfare similar that. What is adjacent worse than decease is the stigma of an informer oregon a traitor. That is worse than death.”

Double individuality revealed

Scappaticci wasn’t outed by the media arsenic Stakeknife until 2003.

He denied it and fled Northern Ireland a twelvemonth aboriginal erstwhile a signaling surfaced of him talking to journalists astir elder republicans, including Martin McGuinness.

He concisely came retired of hiding to protestation his innocence and gave a abbreviated property league successful which helium denied the allegations and ongoing rumours that helium was an informer. He claimed not to cognize wherefore helium was codenamed Agent Stakeknife. 

He lived unsocial successful Guildford, Surrey, nether authorities extortion until his decease past year. His neighbours knew him lone arsenic Frank.

• Cover: Stakeknife is connected BBC Sounds now