Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Harris orders serious case review into Hawe murders
Family in ‘positive’ talks with Garda chief over investigation
THE Garda Commissioner yesterday ordered a serious case review into the investig-ation of the murder of Clodagh Hawe and her three sons.
Drew Harris, the former PSNI Deputy Chief Constable, met the family of the 39-yearold who was killed by her husband in Co Cavan in August 2016.
Her sister Jacqueline Connolly, 38, and 66-year-old mother Mary Coll had called for a special probe into the atrocity near Ballyjamesduff.
Porn-addicted cross-dresser Alan Hawe murdered Clodagh and their sons – Liam, 13, Niall, 11, and six-year-old Ryan – before taking his own life. After yesterday’s meeting at Garda HQ, a spokesman for the force said: “Commissioner Harris said the meeting with Ms Coll and Ms Connolly was conducted in a dignified manner.
“And it is welcome the family found it productive and it helped provided clarity for them on some matters.
“Commissioner Harris provided the family with information on the criminal investigation undertaken while also respecting the data protection rights and confidentially of those individuals who had given statements to An Garda Siochana in the course of the investigation.
“[He] also told the family he has appointed Assistant Commissioner Barry O’brien to conduct a serious case review of the investigation.
Commissioner Harris said the family will be kept informed as the review progresses.”
After the two-and-a-half hour meeting, Ms Connolly said the talks had been “very constructive” and “everything seems to be going in a positive direction for now”.
She added the family looked forward to being appraised of the process in two weeks.
Ms Connolly said they had been “inundated with messages” and were grateful for the support they have received from around the country.
She added: “From the bottom of our hearts we are thankful for that because we could have not gone ahead with this without the support of everyone around us.” Asked if the family will now get access to Garda files, she said: “We’re not willing to comment on that at present.”
The pair met Justice Minister Charles Flanagan last week and urged him to amend the Succession Act 1965, as it currently makes the perpetrator or, if deceased, their family a beneficiary of the estate.
The women also called for a review of the Coroner’s Act and laws over exhumations as it was only allowed in Hawe’s case because his next of kin, parents Olive and Stephen, agreed to it.
And they urged State authorities and agencies, the public and media not to automatically assume a man who murders his partner and children perpetrated such a crime because he was mentally ill.
It is welcome the family found the meeting productive GARDA SPOKESMAN YESTERDAY