Lurgan: £500,000 of cannabis discovered in the Colane Road area
Detective Inspector Conor Sweeney said it was the "most sophisticated cannabis farm I have encountered". "A substantial degree of engineering and investment has gone into the construction and concealment of this underground facility."
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The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
Police officer sacked for sending racist and sexualised WhatsApp messages
A police officer in has been sacked after sending 'highly inappropriate and offensive' messages via WhatsApp. The office of the Police Ombudsman said the messages, which were sent while the officer was on duty, contained material which was sectarian, racist, homophobic, anti-semitic, misogynistic and sexualised. The complainant contacted the Police Ombudsman when the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer continued to send the material, despite being asked to stop on two occasions. Nikki Davis, director of investigations at the ombudsman's office, said: 'Digital analysis of the police officer's phone showed that he had sent multiple images and videos, which were highly inappropriate and offensive, to the complainant, other members of the public and other police officers. 'This was not a one-off, isolated incident, which could potentially be attributed to a lapse in judgment. 'It was sustained, consistent behaviour, exacerbated by the police officer's view, when interviewed by our investigators, that he did not consider the material to be offensive or his actions to be in breach of the PSNI Code of Ethics.' Mrs Davis added: 'When this kind of messaging specifically targets women and combines sexual, racist and sectarian references, it moves into the realm of online gender-based hate speech 'For a police officer to display these attitudes and behaviours towards women is unacceptable, and specifically undermines the PSNI's commitment to ending violence against women and girls. 'However, this case demonstrates that allegations of misconduct will be robustly investigated and that officers will be held to account, all of which contributes positively to public confidence in policing.' Following the conclusion of the Police Ombudsman investigation, a file was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in relation to the potential offences of Misconduct in Public Office and sending grossly offensive messages contrary to the Communications Act (2003). The PPS directed no prosecution. A misconduct file was then submitted to the PSNI Professional Standards Department. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher held a special hearing, after which the police officer was dismissed. He was found to have breached a number of articles of the PSNI Code of Ethics, including those relating to professional duty, equality and integrity. Eight police officers, who received the messages and failed to report or challenge them, were referred to the PSNI in relation to potential breaches of the code of ethics. The Police Ombudsman received the complaint about the police officer in July 2023. The office has previously called for fast-tracking powers in cases where it is clear from an early stage in an investigation that there is criminality or gross misconduct which could result in an officer being dismissed without undue delay. The chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, said such behaviour would not be tolerated. He said: 'Police officers are held to the highest possible standards both on and off duty. 'Behaviour such as this case has rightly resulted in dismissal from service and should serve as a timely reminder that similar behaviour is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.'
The Independent
14 hours ago
- The Independent
Police chief voices hope of agreement on dealing with legacy of NI's Troubles
Northern Ireland's chief constable has expressed hope for a new agreement on how to deal with the legacy of the region's troubled past. Jon Boutcher was speaking following a commemoration to remember three musicians from the Miami Showband who were killed in a loyalist ambush close to Newry 50 years ago. Mr Boutcher was among a crowd who visited a memorial on the Buskhill Road on Thursday afternoon to remember Fran O'Toole, Tony Geraghty and Brian McCoy. Those gathered included Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the 1998 Omagh bomb, and Eugene Reavey, whose brothers Anthony, John Martin and Brian were shot dead in an attack at their family home in Co Armagh in January 1976. Mr Boutcher told media: 'There are still so many uncertainties for so many people, and that's not right. 'Everybody knows my position on legacy, I think transparency and openness are critical. The report that I did on Operation Kenova reflects that, and I am very alive to and aware of national security issues. I have been involved with those all of my professional career, I know them better than anybody in policing, so you can do both. 'I think we may be close to coming to a position, and certainly I hope we are, where there will be a new agreement around what the future of legacy looks like, and I'm keen to hear the fruits of the recent talks between the two governments.' He added: 'We have now got to get legacy right. 'At the time that a lot of these cases occurred, half the community didn't trust police or security forces, which I understand. 'The volume of things that were happening, the murders, the attacks, meant that the security forces couldn't deal with them. There was then without doubt failures within a number of those investigations. We have now got to put that right.' Mr Boutcher said he had been invited to attend the commemoration by Miami Showband survivors Des Lee and Stephen Travers. 'I'd consider them to be people who have inspired me, helped me understand legacy here,' he said. 'I've spent a significant amount of time with both men and they have taught me a lot, and asked me if I would be here, and they are the example of what humility, courage and actually what this word reconciliation is all about. 'I'm here because it is the very least I could do, to be here.' Mr Lee paid tribute to Mr Boutcher as he spoke during the event as a special person he would like to thank. 'He is a gentleman who has helped me quite a lot in the past, he's now the leader of the PSNI and he is here with us today to commemorate the 50th anniversary,' he said.
BreakingNews.ie
15 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Police officer dismissed for sending racist and sexualised WhatsApp messages
A police officer in Northern Ireland has been sacked after sending 'highly inappropriate and offensive' messages via WhatsApp. The office of the Police Ombudsman said the messages, which were sent while the officer was on duty, contained material which was sectarian, racist, homophobic, anti-semitic, misogynistic and sexualised. Advertisement The complainant contacted the Police Ombudsman when the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer continued to send the material, despite being asked to stop on two occasions. Nikki Davis, director of investigations at the ombudsman's office, said: 'Digital analysis of the police officer's phone showed that he had sent multiple images and videos, which were highly inappropriate and offensive, to the complainant, other members of the public and other police officers 'This was not a one-off, isolated incident, which could potentially be attributed to a lapse in judgment. 'It was sustained, consistent behaviour, exacerbated by the police officer's view, when interviewed by our investigators, that he did not consider the material to be offensive or his actions to be in breach of the PSNI Code of Ethics.' Advertisement Mrs Davis added: 'When this kind of messaging specifically targets women and combines sexual, racist and sectarian references, it moves into the realm of online gender-based hate speech 'For a police officer to display these attitudes and behaviours towards women is unacceptable, and specifically undermines the PSNI's commitment to ending violence against women and girls. 'However, this case demonstrates that allegations of misconduct will be robustly investigated and that officers will be held to account, all of which contributes positively to public confidence in policing.' Following the conclusion of the Police Ombudsman investigation, a file was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in relation to the potential offences of Misconduct in Public Office and sending grossly offensive messages contrary to the Communications Act (2003). Advertisement The PPS directed no prosecution. A misconduct file was then submitted to the PSNI Professional Standards Department. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher held a special hearing, after which the police officer was dismissed. He was found to have breached a number of articles of the PSNI Code of Ethics, including those relating to professional duty, equality and integrity. Advertisement Eight police officers, who received the messages and failed to report or challenge them, were referred to the PSNI in relation to potential breaches of the code of ethics. The Police Ombudsman received the complaint about the police officer in July 2023. The office has previously called for fast-tracking powers in cases where it is clear from an early stage in an investigation that there is criminality or gross misconduct which could result in an officer being dismissed without undue delay.
