RUC murders: 'Childhood ended' on day our fathers were shot dead

The children of two murdered police officers have spoken of the "heartache" they felt growing up without a father on the 25th anniversary of the attack.

Constable John Graham and Reserve Constable David Johnston were shot dead while they were on foot patrol in Lurgan, County Armagh, on 16 June 1997.

"It was probably the day our childhood ended," said Abbie Graham, one of Mr Graham's three daughters.

Both families have made a joint appeal for public help to find their killers.

"It's not a historic event for us. It was 25 years ago, but it's something that affects us every day," Ms Graham added.

The gun attack was blamed on the IRA and it happened just weeks before the group's 1997 ceasefire.

The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers both had very young families at the time and a total of five children had to grow up without their fathers.

Abbie Graham and Mr Johnston's son Louie were both just seven years old at the time and they shared vivid members of the day their lives changed forever.

Ms Graham's last living memory of her father is watching him cradling her baby sister on his knee, feeding her peanut butter on toast in the kitchen table of their family home in Richill, County Armagh.

She recalls saying goodbye to him that Monday morning as she set off for school.

"Up until the age of seven, our childhood was happy, it was normal. We had relatively little to worry about," she said.

She was in primary three at the time and her sisters were aged 10 and two.

"I couldn't believe that somebody wanted to hurt Daddy... he was so well liked," she recalled.

"I asked my mum at the time: 'Would the bad men come after us?' She said: 'No they've got your Daddy, that's what they wanted'.

"But I just couldn't fathom that at the time and still can't fathom it now at this stage, how somebody could do that to another living person, and to another person's family."

Ms Graham was very close to her father and said she has never been able to move on from the heartbreak of losing him.

"I can tell you now, if Daddy was here, we would probably have plans this weekend and not because it's Father's Day, but because he was my best friend then and he would still be my best friend now."

Louie Johnston recalled a similar scene in their family home in Lisburn, County Antrim, on the day of the fatal shooting.

"The last memory that I have of my dad was giving him a hug and a kiss goodbye on our stairs," he said.

"He was getting ready for work, I was getting ready for school and we said: 'See you later.'

"I said: 'I love you Daddy' and I went out the door to school, and that was the last I've ever seen of my dad," he said.

He recalls coming home later that day to "a house of despair" after the shootings, and was met by his tearful mother and carloads of mourners in their street.

Mr Johnston said his family have spent the last 25 years in "unimaginable pain".

"It's been very difficult without your dad. Every Christmas, every happy family event, there's been a vacancy."

Both families have said they still hope that those responsible will be successfully prosecuted, and have appealed to witnesses who may have been reluctant to come forward during the Troubles to help them get justice now.

The officers were on patrol in Church Walk in Lurgan when they were shot from behind at close range.

Police believe the gunmen may have been wearing wigs to disguise their identity.

The killers fled the scene in a getaway car - a green Rover 216 which was later found burnt out in Lurgan's Kilwilkie Estate.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) joined the families' appeal, saying the RUC officers were "young men murdered while serving the local community".

"My appeal today is aimed at the local people of Lurgan who were in the area of Church Walk on the day of the murders," said Det Supt Stephen Wright,

"I believe that someone must have seen the gunmen before or after the attack or will know who these individuals were."

He added: "I want those who know who was involved that day to search their consciences and come forward to the police," he said.

"I am appealing to anyone with any knowledge of what happened that day, whether as a witness or from personal involvement, who have not spoken to police previously to do so now. It is not too late, if anyone now feels they are able to talk to us, we are ready to listen."