A REPORT from the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has found 'significant failings' in the PSNI's investigation into the murder of a Catholic man.
Gerard Lawlor, 19, was the last Catholic civilian to be killed during the Troubles when he was shot from behind as he walked home in North Belfast shortly after midnight on July 22, 2002.
Despite the report's findings, the Ombudsman, Marie Anderson, ruled out collusion and said there was no evidence that police tried to protect an informant.
"My investigation found no evidence that police had prior information that Gerard Lawlor was going to be targeted, or that Loyalist paramilitaries were planning an attack in the Floral Road area and I do not believe that an opportunity existed for police to prevent the murder," added Mrs Anderson.
'Lack of strategic leadership'
Mr Lawlor was a young father-of-one when he was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries on Floral Road while walking home after a night out.
At around 7.30pm on the evening before his murder, republican paramilitaries had shot and attempted to kill a Protestant man in the Glenbryn area.
In the hours that followed, there were four separate retaliatory gun attacks on Catholics in North Belfast before the fatal shooting of Mr Lawlor shortly after midnight.
In her report, the Ombudsman identified the failure of the PSNI to document and develop a specific covert/sensitive strategy with defined targets and objectives for the investigation.
"There was a lack of strategic leadership and oversight in this important element of the investigation which the Police Ombudsman believes to be flawed," read the report.
It also found that searches, arrests and interviews were not conducted in a timely manner.
"In the absence of evidence that the Senior Investigating Officer was pursuing a sensitive strategy with defined objectives and tactics in connection with Gerard Lawlor's murder, the Police Ombudsman can identify no justification for the delay in the arrest and questioning of suspects and related searches," added the report.
The Ombudsman also identified several other failings, including the failure to link the murder with a series of sectarian attacks, the failure to maintain and complete policy file/decisions and the failure to fully consider the dissemination of relevant intelligence to the Senior Investigating Officer.
'Police actions and omissions'
Commenting on her report, Mrs Anderson said the concerns of Mr Lawlor's family were 'legitimate and justified'.
"Initial police actions following the murder were conducted in a thorough and competent manner," she said.
"Scenes were secured and forensically examined and police conducted extensive witness and CCTV enquiries in the vicinity of the murder scene, in addition to the route that Mr Lawlor took upon leaving the Bellevue Arms, and potential routes taken by the murderers before, and after, the attack.
"However, my investigation did find evidence of significant failings in aspects of the police investigation and, therefore, I have concluded that a number of the complaints, allegations and concerns made by the family about police actions and omissions are legitimate and justified."
