A senior PSNI officer has said the standards expected of policing were not met in the probe into the sectarian murder of Robert Hamill.
Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally said while policing in Northern Ireland has changed fundamentally since 1997, any failures identified by the inquiry “must continue to inform policing”.
Mr Hamill, a Catholic, died after he was attacked in County Armagh.
The 25-year-old and a friend were beaten by loyalists as they walked along Portadown’s Market Street after a night out.
The father of three suffered serious head injuries and died 11 days after the attack.
No-one has ever been convicted of Mr Hamill’s murder.
On Monday, a long-running public inquiry found police officers who were in a Land Rover near the scene “did not condone or collude” with the attackers.
However, the report said that a number of “wrongful acts and omissions” by Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers obstructed the investigation into his murder in 1997.
These included the failure to properly search the home of a key suspect.
A sister of Robert Hamill said the failings highlighted in the report had “led to those who murdered our brother evading justice”.
Responding in a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the PSNI said they acknowledge the publication of the Robert Hamill Inquiry Report and the profound impact of his murder on his family and all those affected.
ACC Anthony McNally said Mr Hamill was “an innocent young man killed by a despicable act of sectarian hatred”.
“The pain of such a grievous loss does not fade and I am acutely aware that this report will be very upsetting for the family. My thoughts are with them,” he said.
“The report identifies serious and unacceptable failings in the Royal Ulster Constabulary’s response to the murder in April 1997 and in the subsequent investigation.
“These included failures in the initial debriefing of officers, the recording and pursuit of information, the direction and oversight of the murder investigation, and the handling of the allegation that Reserve Constable Atkinson had tipped off a suspect.
“The inquiry found that these failures obstructed the murder investigation. It also found that, while the Land Rover crew did not condone or collude with the attackers, they failed to appreciate that Robert Hamill was being attacked before they left their vehicle. We recognise the distress these findings will cause, particularly to the Hamill family.”
He said the report is clear that shortcomings in supervision, investigative practice, record-keeping, forensic strategy and accountability had “serious consequences”, and the “standards expected of policing were not met”.
“The PSNI has changed fundamentally since 1997, including through the establishment of independent police oversight and the development of modern major-crime investigation, public-order, forensic-management, professional-standards and critical-incident arrangements,” he said.
“However, the passage of time and organisational change do not diminish the gravity of the inquiry’s findings or the need to learn from them.
“The report also recognises reforms already introduced in these areas.
“We will assess its findings and recommendations against current PSNI policy, training, assurance and governance arrangements, and work with the Northern Ireland Policing Board, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and other relevant partners where appropriate.”
He added: “We acknowledge the dignity and persistence of the Hamill family over many years.
“Robert Hamill’s death, and the failures identified by the inquiry, must continue to inform policing and our commitment to impartial, accountable and effective service to every community.”
