The Murder of Michael Leonard
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THE MURDER OF MICHAEL LEONARD 17th May 1973 Fr. Joe McVeigh Researched and Compiled by 23 32 2 3 SHOT AND KILLED AND SHOT SHOT AND KILLED SHOT AND KILLED CONTENT PAGE PAGE CONTENT CONTENT PAGE Shot and Killed 3 3 Killed and Shot Shot and Killed 3 Inquest 5 5 Inquest Inquest 5 Multiple Shots 8 8 Shots Multiple Multiple Shots 8 British Military Logs 8 8 Logs Military British British Military Logs 8 NEW STORY 10 10 STORY NEW NEW STORY 10 Irish Citizen Murdered 11 11 Murdered Citizen rish I Irish Citizen Murdered 11 Conclusion 14 14 onclusion C Conclusion 14 Remembering Michael 15 15 Michael Remembering Remembering Michael 15 15 15 15 Remembering Michael Remembering Remembering Michael Remembering Michael 14 14 14 onclusion C Conclusion Conclusion Murdered Citizen rish I Irish Citizen Murdered Irish Citizen Murdered 11 11 11 10 10 10 NEW STORY NEW NEW STORY NEW STORY 8 8 8 British Military Logs Military British British Military Logs British Military Logs 8 8 8 Multiple Shots Multiple Multiple Shots Multiple Shots 5 5 5 Inquest Inquest Inquest 3 3 3 Killed and Shot Shot and Killed Shot and Killed CONTENT PAGE CONTENT CONTENT PAGE CONTENT PAGE SHOT AND KILLED SHOT AND KILLED AND SHOT SHOT AND KILLED 2 2 2 3 3 3 23 32 2 3 SHOT AND KILLED AND SHOT SHOT AND KILLED SHOT AND KILLED CONTENT PAGE PAGE CONTENT CONTENT PAGE Shot and Killed 3 3 Killed and Shot Shot and Killed 3 Inquest 5 5 Inquest Inquest 5 Multiple Shots 8 8 Shots Multiple Multiple Shots 8 British Military Logs 8 8 Logs Military British British Military Logs 8 NEW STORY 10 10 STORY NEW NEW STORY 10 Irish Citizen Murdered 11 11 Murdered Citizen rish I Irish Citizen Murdered 11 Conclusion 14 14 onclusion C Conclusion 14 Remembering Michael 15 15 Michael Remembering Remembering Michael 15 2 3 23 32 SHOT AND KILLED KILLED AND SHOT SHOT AND KILLED CONTENT PAGE CONTENT PAGE PAGE CONTENT Shot and Killed 3 Shot and Killed 3 3 Killed and Shot Inquest 5 Inquest 5 5 Inquest Multiple Shots 8 Multiple Shots 8 8 Shots Multiple British Military Logs 8 British Military Logs 8 8 Logs Military British NEW STORY 10 NEW STORY 10 10 STORY NEW Irish Citizen Murdered 11 Irish Citizen Murdered 11 11 Murdered Citizen rish I Conclusion 14 Conclusion 14 14 onclusion C Remembering Michael 15 Remembering Michael 15 15 Michael Remembering Sunday Independent, 20th May 1973 May 20th Independent, Sunday who shot him dead knew him too. him knew dead him shot who sides of the border and the police police the and border the of sides in the farming communities on both both on communities farming the in was well known as a cattle-trader cattle-trader a as known well was near Ederney, County Fermanagh. He He Fermanagh. County Ederney, near married to Mena Gallagher who lived lived who Gallagher Mena to married of his death, he was engaged to be be to engaged was he death, his of brothers and two sisters. At the time time the At sisters. two and brothers lived with his father, mother, three three mother, father, his with lived Pettigo, County Donegal where he he where Donegal County Pettigo, of Tievemore, three miles from from miles three Tievemore, of Michael’s home was in the townland townland the in was home Michael’s man, a man always in a hurry. hurry. a in always man a man, was an affable and vivacious young young vivacious and affable an was always in each other’s homes. He He homes. other’s each in always 15 15 15 Remembering Michael Michael Remembering Remembering Michael were sister and brother so we were were we so brother and sister were up - my mother and his father father his and mother my - up someone I knew very well growing growing well very knew I someone 14 14 14 Conclusion onclusion C Conclusion few years younger than me and and me than younger years few Michael was my first cousin, a a cousin, first my was Michael Irish Citizen Murdered Murdered Citizen rish I Irish Citizen Murdered 11 11 11 10 10 10 NEW STORY STORY NEW NEW STORY 8 8 8 British Military Logs Logs Military British British Military Logs shot in the back and killed. and back the in shot yards from the border at Letter when he was was he when Letter at border the from yards 8 8 8 Multiple Shots Shots Multiple Multiple Shots but there was no checkpoint. He was just 200 200 just was He checkpoint. no was there but that he had refused to stop at a checkpoint checkpoint a at stop to refused had he that car in a police Land Rover. They claimed later later claimed They Rover. Land police a in car 5 5 5 Inquest Inquest Inquest RUC who were, we were told, following his his following told, were we were, who RUC home and was fired on by members of the the of members by on fired was and home the road from Belleek to Pettigo on his way way his on Pettigo to Belleek from road the 3 3 3 Shot and Killed Killed and Shot Shot and Killed Fermanagh. He was driving on his own along along own his on driving was He Fermanagh. Fermanagh border at Brookhill, Letter, in Co Co in Letter, Brookhill, at border Fermanagh Michael was killed near the Donegal- the near killed was Michael disqualified. only crime was that he was driving whilst whilst driving was he that was crime only quiet, country road close to the border. His His border. the to close road country quiet, CONTENT PAGE PAGE CONTENT CONTENT PAGE Constabulary on 17th May 1973 on a a on 1973 May 17th on Constabulary M police officers of the Royal Ulster Ulster Royal the of officers police age when he was shot dead by by dead shot was he when age ichael Leonard was 24 years of of years 24 was Leonard ichael SHOT AND KILLED AND SHOT SHOT AND KILLED SHOT AND KILLED 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 23 32 SHOT AND KILLED KILLED AND SHOT SHOT AND KILLED CONTENT PAGE CONTENT PAGE PAGE CONTENT Shot and Killed 3 Shot and Killed 3 3 Killed and Shot Inquest 5 Inquest 5 5 Inquest Multiple Shots 8 Multiple Shots 8 8 Shots Multiple British Military Logs 8 British Military Logs 8 8 Logs Military British NEW STORY 10 NEW STORY 10 10 STORY NEW Irish Citizen Murdered 11 Irish Citizen Murdered 11 11 Murdered Citizen rish I Conclusion 14 Conclusion 14 14 onclusion C Remembering Michael 15 Remembering Michael 15 15 Michael Remembering 45 54 4 5 INQUEST INQUEST INQUEST “Members of of “Members “Members of a police patrol patrol police a a police patrol called on a man man a on called called on a man to halt as he left left he as halt to to halt as he left a shop at Letter, Letter, at shop a a shop at Letter, two miles from from miles two two miles from the Fermanagh Fermanagh the the Fermanagh border. He got into into got He border. border. He got into a car and was was and car a a car and was again called on to to on called again again called on to halt, but he drove drove he but halt, halt, but he drove off towards the the towards off off towards the border. The car car The border. border. The car was followed by a a by followed was was followed by a police Land Rover.” Rover.” Land police police Land Rover.” “About 200 yards from the the from yards 200 “About “About 200 yards from the border, a member of the patrol patrol the of member a border, border, a member of the patrol allegedly fired one shot which hit hit which shot one fired allegedly allegedly fired one shot which hit Michael in the back.” back.” the in Michael Michael in the back.” Michael in the back.” back.” the in Michael Michael in the back.” allegedly fired one shot which hit hit which shot one fired allegedly allegedly fired one shot which hit border, a member of the patrol patrol the of member a border, border, a member of the patrol “About 200 yards from the the from yards 200 “About “About 200 yards from the inexperienced police officer. police inexperienced that it was an accidental shooting by a young, young, a by shooting accidental an was it that The Inspector showed little emotion and told me me told and emotion little showed Inspector The dead a young man wanted for motoring offences. offences. motoring for wanted man young a dead found it hard to believe that the RUC would shoot shoot would RUC the that believe to hard it found distraught about the killing of Michael and that we we that and Michael of killing the about distraught the Inspector in charge. I told him that we were were we that him told I charge. in Inspector the police Land Rover.” Land police police Land Rover.” police Land Rover.” to the RUC station in Kesh and asked to speak to to speak to asked and Kesh in station RUC the to Shortly after the shooting of my cousin, I went went I cousin, my of shooting the after Shortly was followed by a a by followed was was followed by a was followed by a border.