Eddie Copeland

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Eddie Copeland
Nickname(s)Bubbles [1]
Born1970 (age 54–55)
Ardoyne, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Paramilitary Provisional IRA
Rank Officer Commanding
Unit3rd Battalion, Belfast Brigade
Conflict The Troubles

Eddie Copeland is a prominent Irish republican from Belfast, Northern Ireland. [2]

He joined the Provisional Irish Republican Army after the fatal shooting of his father by the British Army. John Copeland died on 31 October 1971, two days after being shot near his home in Strathroy Park in Ardoyne. John Copeland was not known to be affiliated with any paramilitary group. [3] [1]

Copeland has been the target of loyalist paramilitaries due to being an Officer Commanding of the Belfast Brigade's 3rd Battalion. [4] In December 1996 he was seriously injured in an Ulster Defence Association car bomb attack at his home. [5] He suffered leg and arm injuries but escaped with his life when loyalist paramilitaries planted a booby-trap beneath his car. [6] The bomb had been made by Frankie Curry, who had been a leading figure in the Red Hand Commandos before becoming an independent dissident. [7] Copeland later received £60,000 in compensation for the injuries he received. [8]

On 8 February 1995, Andrew Clarke (27), a private in the British Army, was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court to ten years' imprisonment for the attempted murder of Copeland when he opened fire on mourners outside the home of deceased Provisional IRA Volunteer Thomas Begley in Belfast in October 1993. [9] [10]

On 19 May 1999, the Ministry of Defence was found guilty of negligence at Belfast High Court and Copeland was awarded £27,500 compensation for the injuries he received. [11] [12]

In 2001, Copeland was refused bail at Belfast High Court on charges of kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault and threatening to kill another person. The charges arose from the abduction of a man from a betting shop in Ardoyne. [2] Copeland was later granted bail when the defendant retracted a sworn affidavit. [13] The charges were withdrawn in August 2002. [14]

In December 2004, Copeland's house was searched by the Police Service of Northern Ireland as part of an investigation into the Northern Bank robbery. [15] [16]

In September 2015, Copeland was arrested alongside Bobby Storey and Brian Gillen in relation to the murder of former Provisional IRA member Kevin McGuigan. [1] [17] All three were later released without charge. [18] [17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Manley, John (10 September 2015). "Who are the three republicans arrested?". The Irish News . Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Prominent Republican denied bail". RTÉ News . 31 August 2001. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  3. ↑ Sutton, Malcolm. "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths - C". Conflict Archive on the Internet . Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Holland, Jack (16 February 2011). "A View North It's 3 strikes — and they're out". The Irish Echo . Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  5. ↑ "North Belfast woman on UDA hit list". An Phoblacht/Republican News . 25 September 2002. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  6. ↑ "A series of articles from the Irish News marking the fourth anniversary of the murder of Rosemary Nelson". The Irish News . 13 March 2003. Retrieved 19 July 2007– via Pat Finucane Centre.
  7. ↑ McDonald, Henry; Cusack, Jim (2004). UDA – Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror. Penguin Ireland. pp. 287–88. ISBN   978-1844880201.
  8. ↑ "Senior Republican figure charged with kidnap". RTÉ News . 24 August 2001. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  9. ↑ Melaugh, Martin (20 November 2024). "A Draft Chronology of the Conflict - 1995". Conflict Archive on the Internet . Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  10. ↑ "Eddie Copeland: Provo godfather survived shooting by rogue soldier". Belfast Telegraph . 10 September 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  11. ↑ Copeland v. Ministry of Defence [1999] NIHC 12 (19 May 1999)
  12. ↑ MacDabhaid, Padraig (27 May 1999). "British held liable for soldier attack". An Phoblacht/Republican News . Retrieved 19 July 2007.
  13. ↑ "Kidnap charge man is bailed". Belfast Telegraph . 15 September 2001. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  14. ↑ Oliver, Joe (22 June 2003). "IRA bosses force out godfather of terror". Sunday People . Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2016– via nuzhound.com. But when the case came to trial last August the charges were withdrawn.
  15. ↑ "Republican slams PSNI for bank raid house search". Irish Examiner . 24 December 2004. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  16. ↑ "Police Target IRA Over Bank Heist". The Washington Post . 24 December 2004. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  17. 1 2 Moriarty, Gerry (13 September 2015). "Bobby Storey: The IRA is 'stood down' and has left stage". The Irish Times . Retrieved 6 April 2025. Mr Storey and two other senior republicans, Brian Gillen and Eddie Copeland, were arrested last week in connection with Mr McGuigan's murder and then released "unconditionally".
  18. ↑ "Kevin McGuigan murder: Bobby Storey, Eddie Copeland and Brian Gillen released unconditionally". Belfast Telegraph . 10 September 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
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