On the 12th of January, 1946, Frederico “Freddie” Scappaticci came into the world, the child of Danny Scappaticci and Mary Murray. Their home was based in the Markets area of Belfast, on Joy Street. Freddie displayed an inclination towards sport at a young age, even trialling with Nottingham Forest at the tender age of 14. Unfortunately, he succumbed to homesickness and returned to Belfast after three weeks. Later, he secured employment as a bricklayer on the building sites of Belfast.
Freddie married Sheila Cunningham on October 4th, 1966, their wedding taking place at St Malachy’s Church, located in the heart of Belfast. However, Freddie’s life took a dramatic turn in August 1969, when he became a member of the Provisional IRA in the wake of nationalist attacks in Belfast. Freddie quickly ascended the IRA’s command hierarchy and eventually became Officer Commanding of the Markets area.
British soldiers detained Freddie during a home raid on August 9th, 1971. Freddie served his internment period without trial at Crumlin Road Gaol first, followed by a move to Long Kesh, alongside other notable republicans such as Ivor Bell and Gerry Adams.
Upon his release in January 1974, Freddie immediately rejoined the IRA and continued his ascent through the ranks in Belfast. A subsequent re-arrest in August 1974 led to a headline in the Belfast Telegraph: “Troops capture top IRA officer”. He resumed normal life on December 5th, 1975, when the British government ended the policy of internment without trial in Northern Ireland.
Towards the end of 1976, Freddie re-engaged in IRA activities.
Enquiry is on-going regarding the potential prevention of murders linked to the British Army’s IRA double agent, dubbed ‘Stakeknife’. The families involved are hopeful about getting to the bottom of Britain’s involvement in these murders.
In 1978, it is purported that Scappaticci turned informant for British intelligence agencies. Theories for his conversion are manifold – some suggest he was coerced into cooperation following a severe thrashing by IRA volunteers post a disagreement with a high-ranking individual. Other claims propose blackmail over his penchant for explicit adult content or a run-in with the law due to a tax evasion equation forced his allegiance shift.
The same year witnessed the creation of the Internal Security Unit (ISU) popularly referred to as the Nutting Squad within the IRA, geared towards combating British Intelligence incursions. Scappaticci was allegedly roped into the ISU, initially as the deputy leader, sometime post its inception. Reportedly, his association with the Nutting Squad implicated him in as many as thirty homicides, occasionally committing the act himself. Contents have emerged indicating the British intelligence apathy towards the loss of other operatives to safeguard Scappaticci, their invaluable asset in the IRA, as termed by an inside source.
By 1980, Scappaticci reportedly falls under the jurisdiction of the clandestine Force Research Unit (FRU), a branch of the British military operative in Northern Ireland.
In 1983/4, Scappaticci supposedly assumed control of the Nutting Squad, replacing John Joe Magee.
In January 1990, he was implicated in the questioning of Alexander “Sandy” Lynch, an RUC special division mole from within a residence in Belfast’s Lenadoon district. Interestingly, law enforcers raided the property during Lynch’s grilling session, yet Scappaticci had left the premises. Following this, eight republicans faced accusations concerning the Lynch incident, inclusive of Danny Morrison, Sinn Féin’s publicity chief. Despite fingerprint evidence pointing a finger at Scappaticci, he escaped the clutches of the law, fleeing to the Republic.
In 1991, it’s conjectured that Scappaticci severs ties with the IRA after a fallout.
In 1995, post the 1994 IRA ceasefire, the FRU officially relieve Stakeknife of his duties.
In August 1999, an account emerges in the Sunday Times revealing the existence of an alias, Stakeknife, used by a British intelligence services agent who was a senior operative within the IRA for numerous years. The account can be traced back to Ian Hurst, an ex-FRU agent.
Fast forward to May 2003, the media in Scotland and Ireland pinpoints Scappaticci as being the individual behind Stakeknife. Despite addressing the accusations in a media conference held at his attorney’s office on Falls Road and vehemently denying the charges, Scappaticci later escapes to the UK and enters a witness protection scheme which mandated the press to abstain from revealing his location or publishing any pictures of him.
In 2016, Operation Kenova kickstarts. This criminal investigation aims to determine whether the Royal Ulster Constabulary overlooked around 18 murders to safeguard Stakeknife. The operation aims to ascertain whether Stakeknife was involved in serious crimes, including murders, attempted murders, and unlawful imprisonments while functioning as a British intelligence services agent. Also, the operation seeks to explore other alleged crimes by British Security personnel. Jon Boutcher, the former chief constable of Bedfordshire Police, is assigned to head the investigation.
Fast forward to December 2018, Scappaticci, now 72, appears before Westminster Magistrates’ Court and is found guilty of possessing extreme pornography, along with beastiality. Upon confessing to the charges, he is given a three-month suspended sentence.
By October 2nd, 2019, Jon Boutcher submits files to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) suggesting that Stakeknife, along with others, should be reviewed for prosecution. In April 2023, Scappaticci passes away due to natural causes at the age of 77.
The story unravels further when on February 29th, 2024, the PPS for Northern Ireland announces that there will be no prosecutions arising from the seven-year-long Kenova police investigation. The PPS statement clarifies that the final files scrutinized by Kenova did not have adequate evidence to prosecute seven alleged IRA members or five former soldiers who were associated with the FRU, including three soldiers who managed agents. The whole stack of 28 files submitted by the Operation Kenova team to the PPS did not result in any successful prosecutions.
Please refer to our new project, Common Ground, Evolving Islands: Ireland & Britain for more details.
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