Oliver Gibson

Oliver Gibson
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for West Tyrone
In office
25 June 1998 – 26 November 2003
Preceded by New Creation
Succeeded by Thomas Buchanan
Personal details
Born (1934-06-28) 28 June 1934
Beragh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Political party Democratic Unionist Party
Alma mater Queen's University Belfast
Other organizations Orange Order
Apprentice Boys of Derry

Oliver Gibson (born 28 June 1934 in Beragh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland) is a founding member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

Gibson is a retired DUP councillor for West Tyrone.[1] He also served as an MLA for West Tyrone in the first session of the Assembly. He is a former teacher and was an officer in the Ulster Defence Regiment. His niece, Esther Gibson, was one of the 29 victims killed in the 1998 Omagh bombing.[2]

In 1999, David Jordan, a former Ulster Defence Regiment soldier, broke down in a bar and claimed to be part of a patrol that killed a nationalist councillor, Patsy Kelly, in 1974. Jordan reportedly implicated Gibson in the murder. Jordan was never formally questioned in relation to the matter and no charges were ever brought against Gibson.[3] [4][5]

In 2003, it emerged that Gibson was having an affair with his 35-year-old secretary Audrey McKenzie and was living with her in Ballybogy, County Antrim. His wife confirmed that he had left her and was no longer living in their Sixmilecross home.[6] He retired as a councillor in Omagh District Council shortly afterwards.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Press Releases - Chairman says farewell, Omagh District Council website
  2. ↑ The Omagh Bomb - List of Those Killed, cain.ulst.ac.uk; accessed 28 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Report, impartialreporter.com, 8 November 2001.
  4. ↑ "Former UDR man faces quiz on murder", Irish Independent, 30 July 2003.
  5. ↑ Judgement in the Matter of an Application by Teresa Kelly for Judicial Review to the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland; "Lost Justice: Who killed Patsy Kelly?" (broadcast on 27 November 2001, ITV); accessed 28 July 2016.
  6. ↑ McAdams, Noel (20 October 2003). "DUP man exposed in new affair storm". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast.
  7. ↑ Chairman says farewell, omagh.gov.uk; accessed 28 July 2016.
Northern Ireland Forum
New forum Member for West Tyrone
1996–1998 		Forum dissolved
Northern Ireland Assembly
New assembly MLA for Tyrone, West
1998–2003 		Succeeded by
Thomas Buchanan
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