Decision on charges over Storey funeral due today
PPS to reveal if anyone will face court for alleged Covid breaches
THE Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is to announce if four people referred by police for alleged offences committed during the funeral of former IRA prisoner Bobby Storey are to be charged.
The eight-month investigation into alleged breaches of the Covid restrictions considered files sent in December last year by the PSNI in relation to the four individuals.
Twenty-four people were interviewed as part of the investigation, including Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill.
Around 2,000 people lined the streets of west Belfast in June for the funeral of the Sinn Fein chairman, who died during a lung operation in England.
Sinn Fein was criticised at the time for the attendance by senior members of the party, who walked in the funeral cortege.
The fallout resulted in the DUP refusing to stand on a podium with Sinn Fein at the weekly Executive Covid press briefing for almost three months.
Mrs O’neill later acknowledged Stormont’s public health messaging was “undermined” by the controversy.
She said she regretted what happened after large numbers attended the veteran republican’s funeral, saying she wanted to “rebuild trust” with the public.
The PSNI brought in the Deputy Chief Constable of Cumbria, Mark Webster, to oversee and direct enquiries.
The result of a separate independent report into how Belfast City Council organised the cremation of Mr Storey was published in February.
It found Sinn Fein did not pressure the council to give his family special treatment.
It also rejected suggestions there had been a “takeover” of Roselawn Crematorium, or that council staff were sidelined on the day.
But the investigation did look into why Mr Storey’s relatives were said to have been treated differently to eight other families who also had cremations on the same date.
The report into the events in June 2020 was published by barrister Peter Coll QC.
“There is certainly no evidence of what could come close to being described as a ‘takeover’ of Roselawn by those acting on behalf of the family,” he concluded.
“At all times Belfast City Council staff were at the gate.”
However, Mr Coll also said the council made mistakes.
“The differential in treatment should have been realised by all those involved on an organisational level,” he added.
“The differential in arrangements for the cremations that day was avoidable, unnecessary and simply wrong and steps should have been taken to prevent the differential from arising in practice.”
The PPS will deliver the result of its decision on whether or not there will be prosecutions at 1pm today.