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14/04/2003
British agent Brian Nelson dies
A former loyalist paramilitary who was at the centre of alleged collusion with British security forces has died.
Brian Nelson died in Canada over the weekend after suffering a massive brain haemorrhage following a heart attack two weeks ago.
The Shankill Road man was the intelligence chief of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in the 1970's and 1980's during which time he was recruited by British military intelligence.
He was said to have provided vital intelligence which guided UDA killers to their targets.
The most high profile case to emerge from this period was the assassination of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane. Mr Nelson was allegedly involved in providing a dossier on Mr Finucane which led to his death at the hands of UDA gunmen in 1989.
It was discovered that security forces wanted Mr Nelson to help them prevent the UDA killing ordinary Catholics and concentrate on targeting known republicans.
However, allegations persist that some of the warnings Mr Nelson passed on were ignored, such as in the case Pat Finucane.
His death comes just days ahead of the Stevens Report, led by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens, which focuses in part on Mr Nelson's alleged collusion.
(MB)
Brian Nelson died in Canada over the weekend after suffering a massive brain haemorrhage following a heart attack two weeks ago.
The Shankill Road man was the intelligence chief of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in the 1970's and 1980's during which time he was recruited by British military intelligence.
He was said to have provided vital intelligence which guided UDA killers to their targets.
The most high profile case to emerge from this period was the assassination of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane. Mr Nelson was allegedly involved in providing a dossier on Mr Finucane which led to his death at the hands of UDA gunmen in 1989.
It was discovered that security forces wanted Mr Nelson to help them prevent the UDA killing ordinary Catholics and concentrate on targeting known republicans.
However, allegations persist that some of the warnings Mr Nelson passed on were ignored, such as in the case Pat Finucane.
His death comes just days ahead of the Stevens Report, led by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens, which focuses in part on Mr Nelson's alleged collusion.
(MB)
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