‘Collusive behaviour’ in Patsy Kelly murder

THE Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has concluded that the conduct of police officers involved in the investigation into the murder of Trillick councillor, Patsy Kelly, nearly fifty years ago amounted to collusion.

In a major report which has just been published, Marie Anderson, pointed to the ‘deliberate withholding’ of intelligence from the murder investigation team, and the failure to act on intelligence about an active UVF unit in the Fermanagh area.

Mr Kelly was abducted and murdered after closing the family public house in Trillick in July 1974.

Members of the Kelly family were accompanied by West Tyrone Sinn Fein MLA, Orfhlaith Begley, Trillick-based Sinn Fein councillor, Stephen McCann, and the family solicitor, Adrian O’Kane of Pat Fahy and Company Solicitors when they met with the Ombudsman this morning.

In her conclusion to the report, the Ombudsman said the Kelly family had been ‘failed by the police.’.

She added that the family’s complaints about investigative failings are ‘legitimate and justified’ in a number of respects.

She found that a ‘latent’ bias on the part of a police officer, the failure to adequately verify the alibis of UDR members and a failure to record detailed witness statements.

There was also, according to the report, a failure to link cases, to make enquiries about an anonymous letter and forensic failings including the failure to make enquiries about footwear marks, a failure to recover the boat at Lough Eyes and no record of fingerprint enquiries.

“The investigastive findings were, in my view, significant missed opportunities, which involved obvious lines of enquiry. I am mindful that this investigation did not meet the standards of an effective investigation,” she added.

Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley after meeting with Marie Anderson, Police Ombudsman, along with the Kelly family stated,

“I want to commend Patsy’s widow Teresa and their children who have refused to give up despite decades of obstruction and deceit on the part of the British state.

“The Kelly family’s decades long campaign has now been vindicated by this report which states that there was the deliberate withholding of intelligence and information and the actions of the police indicated collusive behaviour.

“It is a damming report for the British state surrounding the abduction, murder and cover up of Patsy Kelly’s killing.

“The unilateral action proposed by the British government through the legacy bill is an attempt to prevent families such as the Kelly family from exercising their right to truth, justice and accountability.

“The legacy bill is cruel, callous and offensive to victims and survivors and it should be scrapped.”