No Collusion in Robert Hamill Killing but Police Inquiry Flawed, Inquiry Finds
The inquiry into the sectarian murder of Robert Hamill has concluded that while police officers in a nearby vehicle did not condone or collude with loyalists who killed him in Portadown, County Armagh, in 1997, their subsequent investigation was flawed due to "wrongful omissions."
Robert Hamill, 25, died after being beaten by loyalists. The inquiry, which concluded in 2009 and had its report completed in 2011, could not be published until recent prosecutions related to the case were finished.
Key Findings:
- Robert Hamill was assaulted before police officers got out of their vehicle. However, they were unaware of the assault and attempted to restore order after exiting.
- The inquiry found that serving RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) officers made wrongful omissions at both the scene and during the initial investigation, some of which were negligent while others deliberate.
- Mistakes included failure to keep full records, improperly search a key suspect’s home, and inadequate debriefing of officers at the attack scene.
Hamill’s Sister’s Reaction:
Diane Hamill, her brother’s sister, expressed some reservations but generally felt vindicated by the report:
"We as a family feel totally vindicated by the clear and unequivocal findings of the panel. It documents multiple and shocking wrongdoing, some of it delivered by state agencies."
Note: The 290-page report followed an inquiry that cost approximately £33 million. No one has been convicted of Hamill’s murder.
