The son of a man shot dead by the IRA as he went to work in Co Tyrone in 1982 has appealed for anyone with information which could bring his father’s killers to justice to come forward.
Saturday is the 40th anniversary of the murder of John Eagleson on a remote country road near Cookstown. Nobody has ever been convicted over the death.
Mr Eagleson worked as a lorry driver at a cement plant and was a reserve constable with the RUC.
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His son Clive Eagleson said he lives with the pain of his father’s death every day.
He said: “Dad was a gentleman, a hard working man, a good man. He was out working every day, providing for his family, a great father and husband.
“He was always willing to help neighbours in the farming community.
“I was 13 when dad was murdered. The morning it happened. I woke up and heard a bit of commotion in the house, I knew something was wrong.
“My mum came down and a policewoman came in and I was told. Life changed dramatically for the whole family after that. Daddy was the foundation of our lives.”
John Eagleson was travelling to work on his motorbike when he was ambushed and shot dead.
His son said he hopes the 40th anniversary of his father’s death would give fresh momentum to the police investigation.
He said: “Dad was on his way to work when he was knocked off his bike and shot dead.
“He was just 49. My mum Helen lived with that pain for the rest of her life.
“I do believe in the local community there are people who know what happened and they could help the police. There are people who remember that day and know what happened.
“What I am trying to do is to jog the memory of people about a decent hard-working man who the IRA decided to murder because he was trying to make this country a better place.
“I live with this every day. I still hope someone will find it in their heart to come forward, to give some justice for the family.
“It was total devastation, he was my hero. It totally turned us upside down.”
Mr Eagleson was also critical of new Government legislation which is designed to end prosecutions for cases related to Northern Ireland’s Troubles.
He said: “We have always had some sort of hope for justice but if the Government passes this Bill it is a door slammed in our face.
“That has really upset me, the prospect that there would never be justice, the idea that my father was just slaughtered at the side of the road and nobody could be held accountable.
“Nothing will bring daddy back, nothing will take away the pain, but if someone could be held accountable it would give us a bit of ease.”
Mr Eagleson and his sisters left the Cookstown area following the death of their father.
However, they recently returned and visited for the first time the place where he was shot dead.
Mr Eagleson said: “It was hard day for all of us, but we felt we had to do it and go down that road where my father spent his last moments alive, it was painful.
“I was 13 years of age when my father was killed. To have your role model, your idol, your father taken from you, that is hard.
“I am 53 now, I have lived longer than my father, he never saw my wedding, my own children never got the chance to meet him.”
The Eagleson family have received support from the South East Fermanagh Foundation victims’ organisation.
Its director of services Kenny Donaldson said: “The Eagleson family are clear that they not only hope for justice and accountability, they expect for it to be delivered.”
The PSNI also issued a renewed appeal for information. Detective Inspector Nicola Galway from Legacy Investigation Branch said: “Shortly after 6am on Friday 1 October 1982 John was riding his Honda motorcycle along the Upper Kildress Road when he was shot in the chest. He sadly died from his wounds at the scene.
“I believe the gunman made their escape in a yellow coloured Datsun 100A car, VRM BJI 6435 that had been hijacked in the Cookstown area the previous evening. The car was found a few hours later abandoned off the main Omagh to Cookstown Road approximately 4 miles from the murder scene.
“There were no witnesses to the murder and John was discovered lying beside his motorcycle around 6.30am by members of the public travelling along the same stretch of road.
“This was a brutal attack on a family man who was on his way to work in a local cement plant. Shot and left to die on a country road for no other reason than he was a Part-Time Police Officer who gave up his time to serve the local community in Cookstown.
“Forty years have now passed since John’s murder and I am appealing for anyone who has any knowledge of what happened that day, whether as a witness or from personal involvement, who have not spoken to police previously to do so now. I am appealing to anyone who may have been travelling on the Upper Kildress Road either before or after the murder and who may have witnessed the yellow Datsun car in the area.
“Anyone with information can contact detectives in Legacy Investigation Branch on 101 or LIBEnquiries@psni.pnn.police.uk. You can also submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org/.”
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