No Collusion in Robert Hamill Killing but Police Inquiry Flawed, Inquiry Finds
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An inquiry into the sectarian murder of Robert Hamill has found no collusion in the attack but highlighted significant flaws in the subsequent police investigation.
"We find that Robert Hamill had been assaulted before the Land Rover officers got out of their vehicle," the report states, "… they were not aware of the assault and after they had got out, they attempted to restore order."
"They did not in any way condone or collude with attackers."
Although the inquiry could not prevent the murder, it concluded that serving RUC officers made several wrongful omissions during both the scene response and initial investigation. Some of these were negligent, while others appeared deliberate.
The 290-page report followed an inquiry costing approximately £33 million. Robert Hamill, a young Catholic, was beaten to death by loyalists in Portadown, County Armagh, in 1997—a stark reminder of the sectarian divisions persisting during the Northern Ireland peace process.
