Police have apologised over investigative failings surrounding the death of a pensioner fatally stabbed as walked home from buying a paper.
Norman Moffatt, 73, was stabbed once in the stomach, in Coleraine on January 26, 2001 and subsequently died on March 19, 2001.
In January 2013 James Alexander McCook, originally from North Antrim, but who was then living in Stockport in England, appeared before Ballymena Magistrates Court charged with the murder of Norman Moffatt.
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In May 2013, McCook was put on trial for the murder, but the judge ordered him acquitted after raising concerns about “inconsistencies” in a key witness’ evidence. Following the collapse of the trial the Moffatt family made a complaint to Police Ombudsman who carried out a review of the PSNI investigation.
The Ombudsman, in a report issued in March last year, upheld all the family’s complaints which covered a range of issues including the fact a blood sample found at the scene was not tested and that Mr Moffatt’s clothes were returned to the family before his death and not forensicall tested.
James Alexander McCook has since passed away.
In their statement, the PSNI said on Monday that they have “acknowledged and accepted the findings of a Police Ombudsman report regarding the tragic murder of Norman Moffatt in his hometown of Coleraine in January 2001”.
They added: “The Police Ombudsman carried out an investigation into the Police Service’s handling of the case. The subsequent report detailed a number of shortcomings which we have considered in detail; we have accepted unequivocally and addressed the shortcomings.”
Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said: “I recognise that the family of Mr Moffatt have had to live with this horrendous attack for many years. I want to sincerely apologise to the Moffatt family on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for all failings which have been highlighted in our handling of this case.
“We as a Police Service have since transformed our professional investigative practices. We have created the Crime Department, which contains Major Investigation Teams, each led by an accredited, specialist Senior Investigating Officer. Search and scene examination procedures have also been professionalised to prevent mistakes as outlined in this case from reoccurring.”
Responding to the apology Norman Moffatt’s son Barry Moffatt said: “On 26 January it will be 22 years since our father, Norman Moffatt was murdered whilst out getting his morning paper. It was an unprovoked attack on our dad, a 73-year-old unassuming pensioner, who had gone to the shop to get his morning paper. Initially our father survived the attack, but he sadly died in hospital two months later on the 19 March 2001.
“From day one we as a family were not provided with information on what happened, on why it happened and on what steps police were taking to apprehend the suspect. It wasn’t until he passed away that PSNI took his case seriously and it is our view that this led to serious flaws in their investigative approach.
“We have had very few answers about what happened but have battled on for all these years knowing that things were not done properly by Police. Out of respect for mum we held off questioning the role of the PSNI until it became clear to us that the investigation, they had carried out was seriously flawed.
“In 2021 the Police Ombudsman upheld every single complaint we had around police failings, and it is only following this that the PSNI have now apologised. Whilst we appreciate the apology today, it has been difficult for us as a family to process that our father’s killer will now not face justice as a result of Police failings.
“We do welcome the fact that improvements have been made by PSNI and that no other family will have to go through this in the future. It will always be hard to digest that our fathers murder was ‘solvable’ but will now never be solved due to the mistakes of the PSNI.”
Gavin Booth of Phoenix Law added: “We welcome the decision of the PSNI to apologise to the Moffatt family following admission of their failings in the murder of their beloved father Norman Moffatt. Not only were the circumstances of Norman’s murder brutal, but the subsequent investigation - or perceived lack thereof - poured salt into the wounds of an already grieving family, who were desperate for answers. The immediate failures of the murder investigation team caused untold hurt and trauma on the family, who will now never see justice in court for their father.
“The Moffatt family should be commended for the determination they have shown in seeking justice for their father. Amid all this the family had the foresight to make a compliant to the office of police ombudsman, who in their 2021 report concluded by upholding the families’ complaints. The Ombudsman agreed with the family that the investigation was littered with a damningly long list of faults [See attached PONI Report].
“We welcome this decision which gives all victims’ families here hope that the PSNI are accountable to the public.”
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