The family of Real IRA ‘drug dealer’ Kieran Doherty awarded compo over his murder

UNIONIST politicians have reacted with anger after taxpayers money was paid out in a compo claim to the family a Real IRA ‘drug dealer’.

The mother and grandmother of Kieran Doherty have been award an undisclosed sum by criminal injury chiefs.

Doherty was shot dead in February 2010 ago by the Real IRA.

The 31-year-old’s naked body was dumped at the side of a road in Londonderry.

It was claimed that at one stage MI5 tried to him as an informant.

The comp claim was approved by a panel despite claims by the PSNI and MI5 that he was a drug dealer.

DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said the compo should not have been paid out.

“Compensation should not be payable where someone has been involved in acts of terrorism.

“A report into the award should be published in the name of transparency,” he added.

UUP MLA Tom Elliott said he was “sickened” by the payout.

“My concern is whenever I realise the pittance that some families of murdered security force members got, the very small amounts that they received in the past,” he said.

“To hear that a very substantial amount has been paid to the family of what was a Real IRA member then it really does sicken me to hear that difference.”

The Doherty family recently went to a criminal injuries panel hearing to fight for compensation.

They said police claims during the hearing he was involved in drugs did not stand up to scrutiny.

Doherty’s uncle Vinnie Coyle told the BBC that the award was a “substantial” amount of money.

“The family are happy with the amount of cash,” he said.

“But what’s more important to the family is, in their opinion, Kieran’s name has been cleared because the PSNI evidence and the evidence that the PSNI produced on behalf of MI5 and the security services did not stand up to very, very close scrutiny.”

Mr Coyle said that the family had done “nothing wrong” yet had suffered.

“They are victims and it’s my belief, and the belief of the Doherty family, that victims should be fully and openly and honestly compensated for acts carried out on family members,” he said.