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19/01/2004
Serious Crime squad to re-investigate Brown murder
The PSNI have announced the setting up of a special team of 'Serious Crime' detectives to investigate the 1997 killing of Sean Brown.
In a statement released in response to the findings of the Police Ombudsman's report into the handling of the murder inquiry, the PSNI said that the Brown family informed would be kept fully informed of the progress of the investigation.
The PSNI statement said: "The Police Service has considered carefully the report of the Police Ombudsman into the RUC investigation of the murder. It recognises that there was significant failures in the original investigation. It regrets these and the distress caused to Mr Brown's family.
"The Police Service notes that the Ombudsman found no evidence of police collusion in the murder and that the investigation did not receive full co-operation from the community.
"In order to ensure that all current murder investigations are properly resourced and managed, the Service is in the process of setting up a new Crime Operations department. A key unit within the new department is the Serious Crime Review Team that will carry out reviews of such murder investigations. It also have a limited capacity to look at cases from the past.
"One of the major challenges facing the Police Service of Northern Ireland is that proportionately it has more unsolved murders than any other UK police service. This reflects the large number of murders that were carried out by terrorist organisations.
"In addition, this service is currently operating with some 1,400 fewer officers than were available to the RUC in 1997.
Detectives working in the team appealed for anyone with information on the murder of Mr Browne to contact them at Coleraine on tel. 028 7034 4122.
The setting up of the Serious Crimes unit is in response to criticism of the original police inquiry into the loyalist murder in May 1997 of Sean Brown.
The body of 61-year-old Mr Brown was found in a burnt out car after he was abducted and shot by the Loyalist Volunteer Force as he was closing the gates at Bellaghy GAA ground.
The Ombudsman's report, which has been passed to PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde, is to be given to the Brown family later today.
(SP)
In a statement released in response to the findings of the Police Ombudsman's report into the handling of the murder inquiry, the PSNI said that the Brown family informed would be kept fully informed of the progress of the investigation.
The PSNI statement said: "The Police Service has considered carefully the report of the Police Ombudsman into the RUC investigation of the murder. It recognises that there was significant failures in the original investigation. It regrets these and the distress caused to Mr Brown's family.
"The Police Service notes that the Ombudsman found no evidence of police collusion in the murder and that the investigation did not receive full co-operation from the community.
"In order to ensure that all current murder investigations are properly resourced and managed, the Service is in the process of setting up a new Crime Operations department. A key unit within the new department is the Serious Crime Review Team that will carry out reviews of such murder investigations. It also have a limited capacity to look at cases from the past.
"One of the major challenges facing the Police Service of Northern Ireland is that proportionately it has more unsolved murders than any other UK police service. This reflects the large number of murders that were carried out by terrorist organisations.
"In addition, this service is currently operating with some 1,400 fewer officers than were available to the RUC in 1997.
Detectives working in the team appealed for anyone with information on the murder of Mr Browne to contact them at Coleraine on tel. 028 7034 4122.
The setting up of the Serious Crimes unit is in response to criticism of the original police inquiry into the loyalist murder in May 1997 of Sean Brown.
The body of 61-year-old Mr Brown was found in a burnt out car after he was abducted and shot by the Loyalist Volunteer Force as he was closing the gates at Bellaghy GAA ground.
The Ombudsman's report, which has been passed to PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde, is to be given to the Brown family later today.
(SP)
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