Austin Wilson

Following an evening psychology class at Magee College in Londonderry one of the students, a 62 year-old man who worked for the Northern Ireland Prison Service, was sitting in his car outside the college.

Three terrorist gunmen approached and shot him multiple times through the windscreen. Receiving reports of gunfire the RUC attended and sealed off the area.

Detective Inspector Wilson was with Detective Sergeant Bennison at the scene. As part of their inquiries they were examining a briefcase left in the car of the murdered man.

Unbeknownst to the Detectives the briefcase had been left by the terrorists with a bomb inside, which detonated and killed and both officers.

It was later established that the murdered man was targeted to draw RUC officers to the scene so they could be attacked planting a bomb in the briefcase.

Austin was stationed at Strand Road Police Station and had served in the RUC for seventeen years.

He was married with two young sons.

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