Hamill And Nelson Murder Reports Delayed

Continuing delays in the publication of reports into two contentious Troubles' murders have been slammed.

The SDLP Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly said delayed publication of reports into the killings of Catholic man, Robert Hamill and solicitor, Rosemary Nelson would cause disappointment and dismay for the families and the whole local community - and has alleged their eventual publication will have "devastating conclusions".

She was speaking after the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson, (pictured) told the House of Commons in Westminster: "It is with regret that I must inform the House of a delay to the publication of the reports of the Robert Hamill and Rosemary Nelson Inquiries.

"The Robert Hamill Inquiry has recently informed me that it expects to deliver its report to me by the end of February 2011.

"The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry informs me that it currently expects to deliver its report by the end of April 2011.

"I have written to both Inquiries to ask them to expedite their work and to continue to bear down on costs in these remaining months," he said, noting that, "as with the Bloody Sunday and the Billy Wright Inquiries, it is my intention to publish these reports as soon as practicable after I receive them".

However, the SDLP politician said that the reports were due to be given to the British government by the end of this year and said: "Naturally, the families which have waited so many years will be disappointed at further delays.

"But that is not the only dimension. Delays in publication of the Saville Report, often due to 'dodgy tactics' by Government and security force legal representatives, were deliberately used as an excuse to attack the whole concept of independent inquiries into killings by or related to the security forces," she alleged.

"There is a strong expectation that the Hamill and Nelson reports will present similarly devastating conclusions, so the sooner they are published the better.

"The least we can now expect is that the NIO and British Government will not contribute to any further delay but will publish the reports as soon as they get them."

Rosemary Nelson was killed in a loyalist bomb attack and Robert Hamill was beaten by a loyalist mob - and later died - allegedly in sight of an RUC police patrol that failed to intervene.

In November 2004 the [then] Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Paul Murphy, announced the terms of reference for the probe into the death of Robert Hamill following an incident in Portadown in April 1997.

The terms of reference were to inquire into the death of Robert Hamill with a view to determining whether any wrongful act or omission by or within the Royal Ulster Constabulary facilitated his death or obstructed the investigation of it, or whether attempts were made to do so; whether any such act or omission was intentional or negligent; whether the investigation of his death was carried out with due diligence; and to make recommendations.

See: Hamill Inquiry Nears End

(BMcC)