Investigation into loyalist murder inadequate, Ombudsman finds

The police investigation into the loyalist murder of a man in west Belfast in 1993 was "wholly inadequate" and failed his family, the Police Ombudsman has found.

Peter Gallagher, a 44-year-old father of seven from Toomebridge, County Antrim, was shot by a UFF gunman while arriving for work at the Westlink Enterprise Centre shortly before 8am on 24 March 1993.

Marie Anderson said her investigation found there were a total of 12 people who should have been of interest to the murder investigation, but none were arrested.

However, she added that her enquiries had found no intelligence that, if acted upon by police, could have prevented Mr Gallagher's murder.

Mrs Anderson found that the 12 suspects were linked by "significant, and on occasion corroborative, intelligence and other information".

She also criticised the police decision to cease surveillance of members of the UDA/UFF two days before the murder, despite multiple intelligence and other reports indicating the group were actively planning attacks.

Within three days of surveillance being paused on 22 March 1993 - when police resources were reallocated in response to intelligence about IRA activity - the Shankill-based 'C Company' unit of the UDA/UFF had murdered Mr Gallagher and, in a separate attack the following day, 17-year-old Damien Walsh, the report states.

By the time surveillance of C Company members resumed on 30 March 1993, they had also attempted to murder two other people.

"I found no evidence that during this time police had reconsidered their decision to cease surveillance of 'C Company' members, despite the murders of Mr Gallagher and Damien Walsh, and mounting intelligence about other planned attacks," Mrs Anderson said.

The Police Ombudsman said was there no evidence that security forces provided information to paramilitaries to facilitate the attack.

Mr Gallagher was hit multiple times by shots fired from an area of grass behind fencing overlooking the back of the Westlink Enterprise Centre, and backing onto the nearby dual carriageway.

The UFF admitted responsibility and police received information indicating the attack had been carried out by members of 'C Company'.

Mrs Anderson said the initial police response to Mr Gallagher's murder had been appropriate and comprehensive in nature.

A bicycle suspected to have been used by the gunman was found near a footbridge across the Westlink near Roden Street.

A 9mm Browning pistol wrapped in a balaclava was recovered near the scene of the attack, and scenes of crime examination recovered 10 empty cartridge cases, three bullet heads as well as soil and grass samples.

House-to-house enquiries were undertaken, and vehicle checkpoints were conducted on both lanes of the Westlink the following morning.

These enquiries identified a number of witnesses, and more than 50 statements were obtained from members of the public, police officers, expert witnesses and medical staff.

On the day of Mr Gallagher's murder, police conducted searches of the homes of two men.

A number of items were seized during one of the searches - including three balaclavas, a coat with surgical gloves in the pocket, and a plastic bag of clothing.

Tests on the items found no link to the murder.

However, Mrs Anderson said it was difficult to understand why - as the murder investigation progressed and intelligence and other information coalesced around three primary suspects - they had not been arrested.

No-one has been convicted over either the murder of Mr Gallagher or of Mr Walsh.