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  • February 14, 2025
No evidence of police collusion in 1978 La Mon bombing, ombudsman says

No evidence of police collusion in 1978 La Mon bombing, ombudsman says

There was no evidence of police collusion in the investigation into the 1978 La Mon House Hotel bombing, the police ombudsman said.

Twelve people were killed and dozens injured in the atrocity when the Provisional IRA exploded a bomb at the hotel on the outskirts of Belfast in 1978.

The Police Ombudsman said that despite concerns that informants may have been involved in the bombing, “conspiratorial behaviour” was not a feature of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) investigation.

Senior director of investigations at the Police Ombudsman, Paul Holmes, said investigators found no evidence or intelligence that would support the suggestion of wrongdoing by police officers, and found no intelligence that could have warned of the bombing in advance or prevented it.

He said: “The substantial police investigation files, associated documentation and intelligence data reviewed by this office, together with explanatory accounts from a number of former police officers and other investigations, lead me to conclude that serious attempts have been made by the RUC to apprehend these people to get it to work. responsible for the bombing of La Mon House to justice.

“However, the investigation did not proceed with the same rigor and this was reflected in the loss of investigative materials and the inability to interview the person arrested in 1991 in connection with the bombing.

“On the basis of all available evidence and information, I am of the opinion that collusive conduct was not a feature of this RUC investigation.

“The evidence and intelligence reviewed by the Police Ombudsman’s investigation attributes responsibility for directing, enabling and carrying out the bombing of La Mon House to the Provisional IRA,” Mr Holmes concluded.

IRA bombing – La Mon House Restaurant – Belfast
Firefighters search through the rubble of the destroyed La Mon House restaurant near Belfast (PA Archive)

The ombudsman’s report published on Wednesday looks at the effectiveness of the RUC investigation, including the resulting prosecutions against two men.

One of the men was convicted of twelve counts of manslaughter in 1981, while the other was acquitted at his trial in 1980 after claiming he had been attacked by police while in custody.

At the trial in 1980, the judge said he could not be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the man’s statements were not “caused by torture or inhuman or degrading treatment” and that the statements were excluded.

The case was dismissed for lack of other evidence.

Mr Holmes said the judge’s comments and the outcome of the trial indicated “a breach of the rule of law by the police officers involved”.

He also said the loss of data and evidence from the original investigation was “frustrating” and affected the ability of investigators to properly assess the RUC’s response.

Mr Holmes said: “My ability to provide a definitive assessment of the effectiveness of the RUC investigation, including whether all appropriate lines of inquiry were pursued, is hampered by the unavailability of certain documentation generated by the investigation.

“It has not been possible to determine the circumstances under which these documents were lost. However, this is a recurring, systemic problem in older cases and is not unique to this study.”

Ombudsman investigators said they had access to most of the data generated by the RUC investigation and concluded that the initial response to the attack was swift and well managed.

“The first police officers to arrive on the scene showed courage and professionalism in their efforts to save lives and treat the injured,” Mr Holmes said.

“More than a hundred detectives were involved in the murder investigation and almost four hundred statements were recorded. Scenes were identified, exhibits seized and forensic investigations took place.

“In the context of the significant pressures and challenges faced by the RUC at the time, I believe that the inquiry was adequately resourced and led by the highest levels of the RUC.”

The PSNI said in a statement that it is aware of the “pain and anger” of the families affected by the atrocity in La Mon.

Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, of the Department of Justice, said the organisation’s thoughts were with the families and friends of those killed and injured in the “cowardly attack on innocent people enjoying a night out together”.

“We are acutely aware of the pain and anger that continues to be felt by the families of all those affected by this indiscriminate bombing and we extend our sincere condolences to all these families,” he said.

“We recognize the historical issues identified in the report regarding records management in this inquiry, but this was at a time which predated the introduction of the computerized Home Office Large Major Inquiry System (Holmes).

“While the Police Ombudsman’s report identified a number of shortcomings in the investigation, it also highlights that the investigation was well-resourced, comprehensive and effective.

“The report shows that police had no intelligence prior to the attack that could have prevented it, and also that there was no evidence that individuals were protected from prosecution.

“I would also like to reflect on the courage, compassion and professionalism of the police officers who responded to the scene of the bombing.

“The difficult and challenging circumstances they faced in dealing with the victims and survivors represented the highest standards and I welcome the fact that the Police Ombudsman has highlighted this in the report.”