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An investigation into the sectarian killing of Robert Hamill has determined that the police officers present in a vehicle near the scene did not support or collaborate with the attackers. Despite this, the inquiry identified numerous police failures during the investigation, including an alert given to a suspect advising them to destroy the clothing worn on the night of the assault.
The report, which was released on Monday, outlined several significant oversights in the murder investigation process, such as a failure to conduct an adequate search of the residence of a key suspect. Robert Hamill, aged 25, lost his life in 1997 after being attacked by loyalists in Portadown, County Armagh.
Although the inquiry wrapped up in 2009 with its report completed two years later, the findings were withheld until the conclusion of three prosecutions related to the case. The inquiry stated, “We find that Robert Hamill had been assaulted before the Land Rover officers got out of their vehicle. However, they were not aware of the assault and after they had got out of their vehicle, they attempted to restore order. They did not in any way condone or collude with attackers.”
While it was concluded that the four officers in the police vehicle were unable to stop the murder, the police investigation was found to be seriously flawed both at the crime scene and in the subsequent days. The inquiry noted that serving RUC officers were responsible for wrongful omissions during the initial investigation and at the scene. Some of these errors were deemed negligent, while others appeared to be intentional. The full, 290-page report resulted from an inquiry that cost around £33 million
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