A former RUC officer stationed in Armagh in the 1970s is to be charged with murder and conspiracy to murder.
The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has confirmed the decision to prosecute a former RUC officer – reported to be self-confessed member of the notorious Glenanne Gang, John Weir – following a major legacy investigation.
The investigation of Operation Newham is one of the largest and most complex ever undertaken by the Police Ombudsman and encompasses 125 murders, largely attributed to the UVF, in the mid-Ulster and South Armagh areas of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland during the 1970s.
The investigation has led to a decision by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) to prosecute the former member of the RUC for offences including murder and conspiracy to murder that occurred in Northern Ireland, together with an aborted attack in the Republic of Ireland.
In light of the decision to prosecute, and having consulted with the PPS, the Police Ombudsman, Mrs Marie Anderson, has considered the content of her draft public statement on Operation Newham and concluded that to publish it would be potentially prejudicial to the future criminal proceedings.
In order to protect the integrity of those proceedings, the Ombudsman also considered the publication of a significantly amended version of the public statement. She concluded that a revised version would not adequately address the complaints made by the families.
“To publish the full public statement would potentially be prejudicial and I, therefore, gave careful consideration to publishing an amended form of the report,” said Mrs Anderson.
“However, given the significant amount of linked information, such a report would be so substantially changed that it would not present a complete and comprehensive account of the investigation and could be misleading.
“It is my intention to provide as full a narrative as possible of all matters relevant to my investigation and its conclusions.
“The only viable option open to me, therefore, is to seek an extension to the timeframes permitted under the transitional arrangements of the Legacy Act for completion of reports before 30 April 2025. We are engaging with the NIO to ask that the deadline be extended to allow the criminal proceedings to take place, after which I will be able to report on Operation Newham in full.”
Due to legal considerations, at this stage the Police Ombudsman is unable to provide any further detail of the specific matters to which the charges relate.
Weir – who now lives in South Africa – previously served 13 years in prison in connection with the 1977 murder of Ahoghill shopkeeper William Strathearn.
