No collusion in sectarian killing but police inquiry flawed, inquiry finds
A long-awaited inquiry into the 1997 sectarian murder of Robert Hamill has concluded that police did not collude with the attackers. However, the report heavily criticized the subsequent police investigation for negligent and deliberate omissions.
Why it matters
The findings provide closure to a high-profile case from Northern Ireland's peace process era, highlighting systemic failures within the former Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Image caption, Robert Hamill was killed by loyalists in Portadown, County Armagh
An inquiry into the sectarian murder of Robert Hamill has found police officers who were in a vehicle near the attack did not condone or collude with the attackers.
The report, published on Monday , external , highlighted multiple wrongful omissions in the subsequent murder investigation including a failure to properly search the home of a key suspect.
Robert Hamill was 25 when he died after he was beaten by loyalists in Portadown, County Armagh in 1997.
The inquiry concluded in 2009 and its report was completed in 2011 but the findings could not be published until three prosecutions in connection with the case concluded.
The inquiry concluded: "We find that Robert Hamill had been assaulted before the Land Rover officers got out of their vehicle.
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