Former RUC officer to be prosecuted for murder after ombudsman probe

A former RUC officer is to be prosecuted for murder and conspiracy to murder following an investigation by the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland.

Ombudsman Marie Anderson confirmed the prosecution following her legacy investigation, called Operation Newham, which encompasses 125 murders, largely attributed to the UVF in the mid-Ulster and South Armagh areas of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during the 1970s.

The murder and conspiracy to murder charges relate to an incident in Northern Ireland.

The ombudsman said the former officer will also be prosecuted over an aborted attack in Ireland.

Mrs Anderson said she is pausing the publication of her Operation Newham report due to the risk of prejudicing criminal proceedings.

The probe investigated the activities of the notorious UVF Glennane Gang which was responsible for a sectarian murder campaign in the mid-1970s

Mrs Anderson said she had considered publishing a “significantly amended” public statement, but believed that “would not adequately address the complaints made by the families”.

Mrs Anderson said: “To publish the full public statement would potentially be prejudicial and I, therefore, gave careful consideration to publishing an amended form of the report.

“However, given the significant amount of linked information, such a report would be so substantially changed that it would not present a complete and comprehensive account of the investigation and could be misleading.

“It is my intention to provide as full a narrative as possible of all matters relevant to my investigation and its conclusions.

“The only viable option open to me, therefore, is to seek an extension to the timeframes permitted under the transitional arrangements of the Legacy Act for completion of reports before April 30 2025.”

The ombudsman said she was engaging with the NIO to ask for the deadline to be extended to allow criminal proceedings to take place, after which she would deliver her full report.

Mrs Anderson said due to legal considerations, she could not provide further detail on the specific matters to which the charges relate.

A spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said: “We can confirm that a decision was taken to prosecute one person reported on a file submitted by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in connection with their Operation Newham investigation.

“The decision to prosecute the former RUC officer for offences which include murder and conspiracy to murder was taken in February 2024.

“Due to ongoing proceedings the PPS is unable to comment any further at this time.”

Under laws passed as part of the Legacy Act, no fresh prosecutorial decisions on legacy cases can be taken after April 30 2024.