Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SORRY FOR YOUR UNLAWFUL ARREST
PSNI chief apologises to journalists over raids
THE chief constable has offered an “unreserved apology” to two journalists whose homes were raided in connection with a Troublesrelated documentary.
Barry Mccaffrey and Trevor Birney were arrested last August by police investigating the alleged theft of material from the Police Ombudsman’s office.
It followed the airing of their work on No Stone Unturned, which delved into the Loughinisland massacre – when the UVF murdered six men in the Co Down village in 1994.
The High Court ruled last week that police wrongly obtained warrants to carry out the raids at a hearing which fell “woefully short” of fair standards.
PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said in a statement yesterday: “This morning I have written to both Barry Mccaffrey and Trevor Birney offering them an unreserved apology for the distress and upset caused to them and their families following the execution of search warrants at their homes and business premises on 31 August 2018.
“While the searches were planned and conducted at the direction of officers from Durham Constabulary, those officers were acting on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in an external capacity and I fully accept the ruling of the Lord Chief Justice that the search warrants were unlawful.
YESTERDAY
The Police Service of Northern Ireland will be reviewing all findings of the judgment to ensure that all appropriate learning is taken.
“I have notified both Mr Mccaffrey and Mr Birney’s legal representatives that I am keen to resolve all the outstanding matters through a process of mediation in order to bring this matter to a conclusion.
“Until these issues are resolved the Police Service of Northern Ireland will be making no further comment.” Mr Birney welcomed the unreserved apology, in a statement issued by KRW law.
It added: “He is however conscious that actions speak louder than words and look forward to the words being met with decisive reparative action in the upcoming mediation between the parties, a matter which the chief constable personally referenced in the apology.
“There remains serious issues to be addressed in relation to the PSNI’S illegal retention of massive swathes of Mr Birney’s data, his unlawful arrest, wrongful detention and the impact it has had on his business.
“He is determined that the PSNI and Durham officers who instigated and oversaw his unlawful arrest and detention are held to account. In the meantime, he looks forward positively to the mediation to hopefully conclude this sorry episode in the days ahead.”
Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly welcomed the PSNI’S apology but said the case “should never have been pursued in the first place”.
He said: “As opposed to having been detained and their properties searched, both of these men should have been commended and thanked for their top quality service to society in exposing the collusion in the Loughinisland Massacre.
“The freedom of the press is a fundamental principle in any democracy and must not be infringed upon.
“It is long past the time the British government implemented in full the legacy mechanisms agreed in the Stormont House Agreement in a human rights compliant manner.”