Latest news with #PoliceOmbudsman
Irish Post
03-07-2025
- Irish Post
Ombudsman finds police use of baton rounds during Ballymena riots was ‘proportional'
A REVIEW of the PSNI's response to the recent riots in Ballymena has found they showed 'considerable restraint' in the face of the violence aimed at them. The Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland has assessed the use of 'Attenuating Energy Projectiles' (AEPs), known as baton rounds, during the public disorder which erupted in the Co. Antrim town last month. In their report they concluded that police commanders showed 'considerable restraint' in their use of force during the incidents. Police used AEPs 32 times on five dates to help control the disorder, with each incident subsequently assessed by Police Ombudsman investigators. 'Assessing the police use of force in response to the disorder required extensive work, including the review of more than 100 pieces of body worn video, amounting to more than 20 hours of footage,' Chief Executive of the Police Ombudsman's Office, Hugh Hume, said. 'It is clear from this evidence that police commanders did not authorise any use of force until all other options had been exhausted,' he explained. 'In the face of sustained and significant violence, which resulted in multiple police officers being injured, police showed considerable restraint and a consistent, proportionate response.' Last month, the Police Ombudsman's office also confirmed that there were no grounds to open an investigation into the discharge of firearms by police officers during an incident in Bangor. However, Mr Hume emphasised that every 'use of force' case is considered individually, and that two recent convictions of police officers demonstrates that those who misuse their powers will be held to account. In the most recent case in April 2025, a former police officer's conviction for common assault was upheld on appeal, after an unwarranted use of PAVA spray, which is an irritant similar to pepper spray, during an arrest. The case arose from an incident at a filling station in Coalisland when a man was stopped by police and told he was being searched under the Justice and Security Act. When the man challenged the police officers, he was arrested for disorderly behaviour. Body worn video captured the arrest and showed that the police officer, Andrew Forde, who also had his baton drawn, sprayed the man with PAVA spray without warning, before handcuffing him and placing him in the back of a police car. Forde was prosecuted and convicted following the Police Ombudsman investigation. In 2024, a former police constable, David Dumican, was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to a man during an incident in Lurgan in June 2018. Dumican received a 15-month sentence, suspended for two years, after he struck the man on the head with a police baton with such force that he required emergency medical treatment and had to be placed into an induced coma. 'In many instances where we investigate use of force, we will identify appropriate responses and good practice on the part of police,' Mr Hume said. 'However, these prosecutions show that, when the force used is incompatible with applicable standards and potentially criminal, we will not hesitate to pursue those cases. 'These are examples of impartial, evidence-based investigation in action, which should provide reassurance to police officers that they can, and should, use force when it is appropriate and proportionate, while also contributing to building public confidence in policing,' Mr Hume added. The Police Ombudsman received two complaints about use of force in the recent public disorder. One, which concerned a member of the public being hit by AEPs, was closed as being without foundation. A further complaint in which a member of the public alleges they were hit on the leg with a baton, remains open. See More: Ballymena, Batons, Police Ombudsman For Northern Ireland, Riots
ITV News
01-07-2025
- ITV News
PSNI used 'considerable restraint' firing baton rounds during Northern Ireland riots
A review has found the PSNI showed 'considerable restraint' in their use of baton rounds during recent rioting in Northern Ireland. Chief executive of the Police Ombudsman's Office Hugh Hume said the PSNI used Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEPs) 32 times on five dates to help control disorder. Violence erupted in Ballymena in June after the alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town. Two 14-year-old boys, who spoke to a court through a Romanian interpreter, were charged with attempted rape. A peaceful protest about the alleged assault was followed by attacks on police and properties housing ethnic minorities, which was described by police as 'racist thuggery'. The disturbances lasted for several nights and spread to other areas of Northern Ireland including Portadown, Larne, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Londonderry and Coleraine. Police also dealt with several nights of disorder in Londonderry, which Chief Constable Jon Boutcher described as 'blatant sectarian violence'. More than 80 police officers were injured in the violence across several locations. The PSNI use of AEPs, commonly known as baton rounds, has been criticised by some victims' organisations in Northern Ireland. Mr Hume said: 'Assessing the police use of force in response to the disorder required extensive work, including the review of more than 100 pieces of body worn video, amounting to more than 20 hours of footage. 'It is clear from this evidence that police commanders did not authorise any use of force until all other options had been exhausted. 'In the face of sustained and significant violence, which resulted in multiple police officers being injured, police showed considerable restraint and a consistent, proportionate response.' The Police Ombudsman received two complaints about use of force in the recent public disorder. One, which concerned a member of the public being hit by AEPs, was closed as being without foundation. A further complaint in which a member of the public alleges they were hit on the leg with a baton, remains open.
Irish Times
01-07-2025
- Irish Times
Police ombudsman investigating circumstances of Evan Fitzgerald's death
Officials from Fiosrú, the Police Ombudsman, are investigating the circumstances around the death of Evan Fitzgerald, who took his life in a Carlow shopping centre last month. Investigators from the ombudsman's office are in close contact with the Fitzgerald family and providing them with regular updates, sources said. The investigation is mandated under law as the 22-year-old from Wicklow had interactions with the gardaí around the time of his death, which occurred on June 1st in Fairgreen Shopping Centre. Mr Fitzgerald fired several shots into the air using a stolen shotgun before turning the gun on himself. However, Fiosrú also confirmed it is not investigating two other referrals relating to the actions gardaí took while investigating Mr Fitzgerald for possession of firearms last March. READ MORE Politicians have accused gardaí of attempting to 'entrap' the young man during the investigation and of misleading a judge. An Garda Síochána has strongly denied the accusations and said it used standard, internationally accepted tactics to protect the safety of the public. On Monday, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan declined to comment on the matter until two linked court cases are completed. A spokesman for the Minister said he has been briefed by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on the case 'both orally and in writing'. Speaking to The Irish Times on Monday, a spokeswoman for Fiosrú detailed its activity in relation to the case. She said on the day after Mr Fitzgerald's death, it received a referral from a Garda superintendent under section 203 (1) of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. [ Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald had other weapons Opens in new window ] [ How 'controlled deliveries' are used in Garda sting operations Opens in new window ] This mandates that An Garda Síochána must refer any case to the Ombudsman where it appears 'that the act or omission of a member of garda personnel may have resulted in the death of, or serious harm to, a person'. Mr Fitzgerald took his life after armed gardaí arrived on the scene in response to reports of gunfire. Gardaí did not fire any rounds. Fiosrú confirmed it has appointed a senior officer to conduct the investigation. 'This matter remains open and under investigation. Fiosrú has and will continue to liaise with Evan Fitzgerald's family in this regard,' the spokeswoman said. Separately, she said the ombudsman received 'a notification of an incident of concern' on May 21st relating to the case. It is understood the referral related to allegations that gardaí had mislead a District Court judge during a previous bail hearing for Mr Fitzgerald. During the hearing, the judge was told gardaí were still investigating the source of the firearms Mr Fitzgerald had in his possession when he was stopped by members of the Emergency Response Unit in March. It later emerged that undercover gardaí sold him the two guns after being tipped off that Mr Fitzgerald was attempting to source weapons on the internet. Both weapons had been decommissioned by gardaí. One of them was a G3 assault rifle stolen by the IRA from Norwegian reserves in 1984 and recovered more than 20 years ago. Labour TD Alan Kelly and Independent senator Michael McDowell have characterised the operation as 'entrapment' of Mr Fitzgerald. Fiosrú said that on receiving the complaint it had requested further information from gardaí. After examining this, it opted not to open an investigation. Last Wednesday, Fiosrú received a further referral relating to An Garda Síochána action, this time from the commissioner. Mr Harris made the referral after politicians accused the force of misleading the court. Again, the ombudsman's office decided the matter did not warrant a full investigation. 'As the matters concerned were the same in substance as those outlined in the previous notification of 21st of May 2025, there was nothing further to be considered by Fiosrú,' the spokeswoman said, adding that it cannot, by law, make any further comment for the moment. Speaking last week, the commissioner defended An Garda Síochána's actions in the case and raised the recent school shooting 'by a lone gunman' in Austria, which left 11 people dead. 'This is sadly a more frequent occurrence,' he said. 'There is very insidious material on the internet which seeks to radicalise young people. We have to look at the individual and the threat to the general public and deal with that appropriately. 'I have to say, this was a very successful operation in that we made sure a threat to the public did not arise from the circumstances we were dealing with.'
Belfast Telegraph
26-06-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
Family ‘vindicated': Ex-police officers among suspects in NI teen's unsolved murder as report finds ‘systematic failings' in probe
Relatives of Marian Beattie were speaking after a scathing report found a series of failings in the original murder probe. The Police Ombudsman has now urged the PSNI to commission an independent review of the investigation. The 18-year-old's partially-clothed body was found at the bottom of the quarry near Aughnacloy in March 1973, hours after she had left a dance with an unidentified male. At the time police said it was a "vicious and cruel murder, with sadistic overtones". No one has ever been charged or convicted of Marian's murder. However, the family said the Ombudsman report reveals there were 13 suspects – three had paramilitary links and two were former police officers. Marian's cousin, Collette Toman, said: 'What is contained in the report has vindicated our position all along - there were significant failings in the RUC-PSNI investigation and that has been corroborated by this report today.' The PSNI said it is committed to helping the Beattie family get answers to their questions. Ms Toman added: 'This independent review needs to take place, and coming out of that independent review, I think that there is a fair chance of Marian's murderer being brought to justice. "We believe the killer is still alive. We believe we know who it is. "If the independent review is taken forward in the right manner, there is every possibility we will see justice for Marian.' The report found police had failed to ensure all lines of enquiry were progressed, that all suspects were interviewed and that all alibis were checked. Officers also did not ensure discrepancies between some suspects' accounts and other evidence were examined. Key evidence – including accounts from people at the dance – has also been lost. Police Ombudsman chief executive Hugh Hume said Marian's family had not received the service that they deserved from the police. Ms Toman said the family were alarmed by the extent of police failings outlined in the report. She added: "There are some shocks that we've had, even today. For example, we were unaware that there were up to 13 suspects in this case. "We were only ever told about two, and then at an Ombudsman meeting in 2022, that increased to five. But never at any point did we think there was up to 13 suspects. "Alongside that, there was a point at which they were considering closing the investigation in 2014, and the report now documents that at that stage there were 213 items still to be further investigated." The Police Ombudsman's investigation came after a referral by the then Chief Constable, George Hamilton, in 2017. On the night of her murder on March 30 1973, Marian had been at a dance at Hadden's Garage near Aughnacloy, attended by 400-500 people. She was last seen walking in the direction of Hadden's Quarry with an unidentified male. Her body was found at the bottom of the quarry, beneath a 90 foot drop, the next morning. A post-mortem examination concluded Marian had died from multiple injuries - some consistent with a fall, but others deemed to have been sustained separately. Items from the scene, including clothing and forensic samples, were sent for forensic testing, but all are now missing. These include a shoe which had a palm print, formed in mud, which became a significant focus for police. Mr Hume said there had been an over-reliance on the palm print. The report said significant outstanding lines of enquiry in relation to suspects that had not been pursued. There was no evidence that police conducted any interviews with a number of suspects; checked a number of suspect alibis; or made enquiries about the whereabouts of some suspects on the night. Discrepancies between the accounts of some suspects and other evidence were not properly examined, investigators found. The Ombudsman probe was also hampered by the loss of police exhibits and documentation. This includes documentary evidence, statements, records of interviews with witness and suspects, and officers' journals, and completed questionnaires from 419 people at the dance are also missing. All physical exhibits recovered during the initial police investigation are also missing. Mr Hume said: 'If these exhibits had been available, it may have been possible to have conducted further forensic testing using current forensic capabilities, and it is possible that this may have resulted in the identification of the person responsible for Marian's murder." He added: 'Although our investigation has found significant errors and omissions during the police enquiries into Marian's murder, it is my hope that the independent review we have recommended will ensure that every effort is made to uncover the truth about her murder, and to finally bring her killer, if still alive, to justice.' Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said: 'We are committed to helping the Beattie family get answers to their questions and ensure the case is properly investigated. 'We will now take time to consider the recommendations of the Police Ombudsman report and we hope the family will engage with the Police Service as part of that process.'
BreakingNews.ie
26-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Independent review recommended for investigation into murdered teenager
An independent review has been recommended of the police investigation into the murder of a teenager in Co Tyrone in 1973. It comes after the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland found 'numerous failings' in how police handled the case, and just eight documented contacts with police and 18-year-old Marian Beattie's family. Advertisement It also found that the three suspects had paramilitary links, and two were former police officers. The Police Ombudsman's chief executive, Hugh Hume, said Ms Beattie's family did not receive the service they deserved from the police. Hadden's Quarry in Aughnacloy where the body of Marian Beattie was found (PSNI/PA) Ms Beattie's partially clothed body was found at the bottom of a quarry. She had been attending a charity dance at Hadden's Garage in Aughnacloy on March 30th, 1973, to listen to her brother playing in the band. Advertisement The teenager was last seen leaving the dance with a young man just after 1am and walking in the direction of Hadden's Quarry. No one has ever been charged or convicted over her murder. In 2017, then Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable George Hamilton referred the case to the Police Ombudsman. The Ombudsman investigation found that police failed to ensure that all lines of inquiry were progressed, that all suspects were interviewed, that all alibis were checked, and that discrepancies between some suspects' accounts and other evidence were examined. Advertisement An independent review has been recommended. Mr Hume said they found organisational and systemic failings. 'In 50-plus years after her murder, up until earlier this year, there were only eight documented contacts between the police and the family,' he said. 'It is understandable that they have lost confidence and trust in the police,' he said. Advertisement 'Although our inquiries found no evidence of individual police criminality, nor misconduct by any serving officer, the police investigation of Marian's murder has been undermined by organisational and systemic failings.' The Ombudsman investigation also considered information from the Beattie family that police made comments on four separate occasions that led them to believe there were potential links between suspects and either police, military/security services or paramilitaries. They found while there were no police records of this being discussed, available information suggests 'it is more likely than not that such comments had been made'. The Ombudsman's Office also said it found that three suspects had paramilitary links, and two were former police officers. Advertisement In addition, while clear lines of inquiry were outstanding in relation to the suspects known to have potential paramilitary and police connections, this was not unique to these suspects. The investigation was described as being unable to establish whether or not these connections had any impact upon the police investigation. Mr Hume said they hope the independent review they have recommended may bring Ms Beattie's killer to justice. 'Although our investigation has found significant errors and omissions during the police inquiries into Marian's murder, it is my hope that the independent review we have recommended will ensure that every effort is made to uncover the truth about her murder, and to finally bring her killer, if still alive, to justice,' he said. He added that while Ms Beattie was murdered in 1973, lessons of relevance to current policing could be learned. 'At the time of Marian's murder the police faced significant policing challenges, with hundreds of murders each year being attributed to 'the Troubles', and that context was taken into account during our inquiries,' he said. 'Nevertheless, we must learn from past errors and omissions, particularly if we are to properly address the problem of violence against women and girls in local society. Northern Ireland has the second-highest levels of femicide in western Europe. 'Unfortunately, the Police Ombudsman has found a similar lack of investigative rigour and pre-emptive conclusions in some recent PSNI femicide investigations. 'Police Ombudsman investigations are critical to learning lessons, and it is my hope that our recommendation for an independent review will help to ensure that future police inquiries into Marian's murder are comprehensive and focused.' Belfast solicitor Darragh Mackin. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Solicitor Darragh Mackin, acting for Ms Beattie's family, said the report should 'serve as a lightning strike reminder of the need for urgent and immediate action to ensure no other women are systematically failed by the very state that should protect them'. He said the family 'now look forward to engaging with the Chief Constable in the weeks ahead'. 'The facts of this investigation speak for themselves. In 50 years the police contacted this family a mere eight times. Such blatant disregard for the family of Marian is indicative of the inherent unenthusiastic approach adopted,' he said. 'Today's revelations confirm that three suspects had paramilitary links and two were former police officers. The family have always believed that such connections have played a direct role in the obfuscation and procrastination adopted, in failing to investigate Marian's murder.' Ireland Search of Dublin property as part of Annie McCarri... Read More He went on: 'Marian's report confirms that women in this jurisdiction have not been safe for five decades. 'Today's report should serve as a lightning strike reminder of the need for urgent and immediate action to ensure no other women are systematically failed by the very state that should protect them. 'Gender based violence had no place in society in 1973 and it has no place in 2025. In Marian's memory, it is time for action.'
