28-05-2025
Family of loyalist murder victim failed by ‘wholly inadequate' RUC probe, report finds
Peter Gallagher (44), from Toomebridge in Co Londonderry, was shot and fatally wounded while arriving for work at the Westlink Enterprise Centre in west Belfast in 1993.
The Police Ombudsman investigated the case after a complaint from Mr Gallagher's family.
Marie Anderson's report found that although 12 people should have been of interest to the murder investigation, none were arrested. This was despite some being linked by significant intelligence and other information.
She also criticised the police decision to cease surveillance of members of the UDA/UFF two days before the murder, given that they had received multiple intelligence and other reports indicating the group were actively planning attacks.
Within three days of surveillance being paused on March 22 1993 - when police resources were reallocated in response to intelligence about IRA activity - the Shankill-based 'C Company' unit of the UDA/UFF had murdered Mr Gallagher and, in a separate attack the following day, 17-year-old Damien Walsh.
By the time surveillance of 'C Company' members resumed on March 30 1993, they had also attempted to murder two other people.
'I found no evidence that during this time police had reconsidered their decision to cease surveillance of 'C Company' members, despite the murders of Mr Gallagher and Damien Walsh, and mounting intelligence about other planned attacks,' Mrs Anderson said.
News Catch Up - Tuesday 28th May
However, the Police Ombudsman added that her enquiries had found no intelligence that, if acted upon by police, could have prevented Mr Gallagher's murder.
Neither was there any evidence that security forces provided information to paramilitaries to facilitate the attack.
