Mob murderer 'helped by officer'

Mr Hamill was attacked as he walked home through Portadown

An RUC officer warned a man who was part of a sectarian mob which killed a man to dispose of clothes worn in the attack, a public inquiry has heard.

Public hearings in the inquiry into the murder of Portadown man Robert Hamill in April 1997 have begun in Belfast.

Mr Hamill, a Catholic, died after being attacked by a loyalist mob.

The inquiry will examine allegations that four RUC police officers watched as the 25-year-old was attacked and failed to intervene.

It will also examine whether the police were in any way responsible for Mr Hamill's death, as well as claims that police officers tried to obstruct the investigation into the murder.

Mr Hamill was attacked as he walked home through Portadown

Ashley Underwood QC, lead counsel for the Hamill Inquiry, told the hearing that within weeks of the attack, the RUC had names for those involved.

He said they also had evidence a reserve constable had protected one of the killers by "telling him to get rid of his clothing and by keeping him updated about the investigation".

"However, no-one has been convicted of murdering Mr Hamill and only one person was convicted of affray arising out of the attack on him," he said.

The barrister said the reserve constable was "eventually charged in relation to a conspiracy arising out of the alleged tip-offs that he gave, but was not prosecuted to trial".

The reserve constable denies all allegations of wrongdoing, his legal counsel told the hearing.

Lawyers for other police officers also denied the allegations and called on the inquiry to "separate fact from rumour".

It is our hope that our work in this inquiry may do a little to help people to look forward with hope Sir Edwin Jowett Inquiry chairman

Martin Woolfe, junior counsel for the police, pledged its cooperation with the inquiry.

He denied Mr Hamill's case was treated differently because he was a Catholic.

Arriving at the inquiry, Mr Hamill's sister Diane said: "We just want to find out the answer to why our brother wasn't allowed to walk home and why he wasn't protected by four armed RUC officers - the forces of the state that are in place to look after and protect us - why they didn't do that.

She said they wanted to know "why the people that we believe murdered my brother are still walking the streets today and weren't prosecuted".

Volume of work

In a public statement before the inquiry got under way, chairman Sir Edwin Jowitt said the volume of work was "very considerable".

He said among the 230 witnesses interviewed were former police officers who had applied for anonymity.

"It is our hope that our work in this inquiry may do a little to help people to look forward with hope," said Sir Edwin.

The inquiry was established more than four years ago and to date has cost almost £19m.

Since then, lawyers have interviewed more than 230 possible witnesses and gathered over 20,000 documents.

The inquiry team has said it hoped to present its final report to the Secretary of State by June next year.