Kevin Fulton

Fulton's real name is purportedly Peter Keeley (born in October 1960), a Catholic from Newry. He joined the British Merchant Navy at the age of 16, and thereafter joined the Royal Irish Rangers at the age of 18. One month into basic training, Fulton was recruited by the Intelligence Corps and asked to volunteer as an undercover agent. After being trained in espionage skills, Fulton was discharged from the British Army and returned to civilian life to infiltrate the IRA.{{Cite web |url=https://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2013/12/smithwick-final-report.pdf |title=The Smithwick Tribunal - Final Report }}

After settling in the Newry area, Fulton began working in a meat factory while attempting to ingrain himself with local Irish Republicans. As well as continuing to receive a weekly salary in cash from the British government, Fulton was also provided with a car by his handlers in the Force Research Unit. He subsequently became friendly with Patrick Joseph ‘Mooch’ Blair, who was on-the-run in Dundalk in relation to an improvised mortar attack, and eventually Fulton was accepted into the IRA as a volunteer. In 1991, Fulton left his role as a double agent due to the stress involved and went to work in Euro Disney for a short time. He returned to Ireland the following year and was thereafter handled by MI5 as well as British Army Intelligence until the mid-90s.

Fulton then became an operative for British Customs and Excise before registering as an informant for the Royal Ulster Constabulary. In 1997, Fulton was granted a “participating informant” status, which allowed him to participate in criminal activities with the consent of his RUC handlers. Sometime in the late-90s, suspicions were aroused that Fulton may have been a British agent, and he was exfiltrated from Ireland by his handlers at his request. In 2001, Fulton was allegedly sentenced to death by the IRA via court martial in his absence.

In later years, Fulton gave evidence to the Smithwick Tribunal, in which he reasserted his claim that Garda Owen Corrigan was a double agent for the IRA.[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-18504474 Keeley and Smithwick Tribunal], Bbc.com; accessed 5 May 2014. During the tribunal, lawyers acting for ‘Mooch’ Blair put it to Fulton that their client had not inducted him into the IRA in the 1980s and that he was considered a "gofer" whose main function was to carry out menial tasks. The tribunal also heard that Fulton had also previously been dismissed as a Walter Mitty and as a fantasist by former Chief Constable of the RUC Ronnie Flanagan. However, Fulton's former RUC handlers attested to the tribunal in regards to his credibility, and described how he worked with Customs to help identify a warehouse in Belgium linked to drug trafficking and cigarette smuggling, while he provided quality information in relation to drug dealing and fraud offences in Northern Ireland.

In Unsung Hero, Fulton claims he worked undercover as a British Army agent within the IRA. He was believed to have operated predominantly inside the IRA's South Down Brigade, as well as concentrating on the heavy IRA activity in neighbouring South Armagh.{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1106/fultonk.html|title=Former spy released without charge|date=6 November 2006|website=Rte.ie|access-date=24 August 2017}} Fulton and four members of his IRA unit in Newry reportedly pioneered the use of flash guns to detonate bombs.Fulton, Kevin, Jim Nally, and Ian Gallagher. Unsung Hero, John Blake Publishing Ltd., London (2006); {{ISBN|978-1-84454-034-1}}, pp. 146-47.

In one incident, Fulton was questioned on responsibility for designing firing mechanisms used in a horizontal mortar attack on a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) armoured patrol car on Merchants Quay, Newry, County Down, on 27 March 1992. Colleen McMurray, a constable (aged 34) died and another constable was seriously injured.BBC's Hard Talk interview, 4 October 2006. Fulton claims he tipped off his MI5 handler that an attack was likely.

On 5 November 2006, he was released without charge after being arrested in London, and transferred to Belfast to be questioned about his knowledge or involvement in the deaths of Irish People's Liberation Organisation member Eoin Morley (aged 23), Royal Ulster Constabulary officer Colleen McMurray (34), and Ranger Cyril Smith (aged 21). "I personally did not kill people", he stated. His lawyers asked the British Ministry of Defence to provide him and his family with new identities, relocation and immediate implementation of the complete financial package, including his army pension and other discharge benefits, which he had been reportedly promised by the MoD for his covert tour of duty. His ex-wife, Margaret Keeley, filed a lawsuit in early 2014 for full access to documents relating to her ex-husband. She claims to have been wrongfully arrested and falsely imprisoned during a three-day period in 1994 following a purported attempt by the IRA to assassinate a senior detective in East Belfast.{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/article30012067.ece|title=Informer's ex-wife Margaret Keeley to battle MoD legal move |newspaper=Belfast Telegraph|first=Alan|last=Erwin|date=15 February 2014|access-date=16 November 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12842568|title=Stakeknife damaged my life - MI5 agent's ex-wife|date=23 March 2011|access-date=24 August 2017|website=Bbc.co.uk}}

On 26 November 2013, it was reported that The Irish News had won a legal battle after a judge ruled against Keeley's lawsuit against the newspaper for breach of privacy and copyright, by publishing his photograph, which thereby also, he argued, endangered his life. Belfast District Judge Isobel Brownlie stated at least twice that she was not impressed with Keeley's evidence and described him as "disingenuous". Under British law, Keeley will also be billed for the newspaper's legal costs.Suzanne McGonagle, [https://www.scribd.com/doc/221838268/Irish-News-wins-legal-battle-spy-s-photo "Irish News wins legal battle regarding spy's photo"], Scribd.com; accessed 4 May 2014.

On 31 January 2014, the Belfast High Court ruled that Fulton had to pay damages to Eilish Morley, the mother of IPLO member Eoin Morley, shot dead at age 23 by the IRA.{{cite web|url=http://www.cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/victims/index.html|title=CAIN: Issues: Victims of the Northern Ireland Conflict|first=Dr Martin|last=Melaugh|website=Cain.ulst.ac.uk|access-date=24 August 2017}} The order was issued based upon his failure to appear in court. The scale of the pay-out for which he is liable was to be assessed at a later stage but was never published.[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/british-agent-in-ira-must-pay-damage-to-victims-family-says-court-order-29968430.html "British agent in IRA must pay damage to victim's family, says court order"], Belfast Telegraph, 31 January 2014; accessed 4 May 2014.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6119098.stm "Ex-IRA mole is released by police"], BBC News, 5 November 2006.
• [http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/1106/fultonk.html "Former spy released without charge"], RTÉ News, 6 November 2006.
• [http://www.lesenfantsterribles.org/multimedia/intervista-a-kevin-fulton-kevin-fulton-speaks "Kevin Fulton" profile], lesenfantsterribles.org; accessed 4 May 2014.

November 2021

• [https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/crime/former-british-spy-sued-over-alleged-roll-in-ira-shooting-3456830 "Former British spy sued over alleged roll in IRA shooting"], The Belfast Newsletter; 13 November 2021.

November 2021

• [https://krw-law.ie/cic-saor-state-agent-peter-keeley-still-in-the-care-and-protection-of-the-psni-during-life-of-smithwick-tribunal/ "Peter Keeley"], KRW Law; Jun 21, 2014.

November 2022

• [https://www.irishnews.com/paywall/tsb/irishnews/news/northernirelandnews/2022/11/14/news/former_british_agent_peter_keeley_working_for_far-right_leader_tommy_robinson_book_claims-2904157/content.html "Former British agent Peter Keeley working for far-right leader Tommy Robinson, book claims"], Irish News; 14 November 2022.

March 2022

• [https://www.irishnews.com/paywall/tsb/irishnews/irishnews/irishnews/news/northernirelandnews/2022/03/11/news/former-british-spy-inside-the-ira-facing-up-to-25-lawsuits-in-connection-with-paramilitary-murders-and-attacks-2611679/content.html "Former British spy inside the IRA facing up to 25 lawsuits in connection with paramilitary murders and attacks"], Irish News; 11 March 2022..
• [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/nov/13/far-right-activist-tommy-robinson-using-former-ira-mole-to-spy-on-opponents "Far-right activist Tommy Robinson ‘using former IRA mole to spy on opponents’"], The Guardian; 13 November 2022.

August 2023

• "[https://www.itv.com/utvprogrammes/articles/up-close-protected-species For twenty years, he has given his side of the story, using the pseudonym ‘Kevin Fulton’ but there’s much more to tell. In tonight’s film, some of those victims and families, from both sides of the community, tell their story exclusively to Up Close], UTV Thursday 3 August at 1:07 pm.

{{PIRA}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulton, Kevin}}

Category:1960s births

Category:British spies

Category:Living people

Category:Military personnel from Newry

Category:Provisional Irish Republican Army members

Category:Irish spies during The Troubles (Northern Ireland)

Category:Royal Irish Rangers soldiers