Hamill independent inquiry call by Laura Friel
The British government is under increasing pressure to call an
independent inquiry into the sectarian murder of Portadown Catholic
Robert Hamill after a man was acquitted of murder at Belfast High
Court last week.
Twenty-two-year-old Marc Hobson was acquitted of
murder by trial Judge McCollum, who said it was impossible for him to
be satisfied of Hobson's guilt on the murder charge. Convicted of
causing an affray, Hobson is expected to be released and back on the
streets of Portadown in less than six weeks. Twenty-five-year-old
Robert Hamill was kicked to death by a loyalist mob in Portadown in
April 1997. An RUC mobile patrol refused to intervene, despite
repeated calls for assistance from Robert's companions.
Delivering
his judgement, McCollum criticised the RUC's lack of evidence but
excused their failure to intervene. The judge said that even if the
RUC officers had been able to dismount from their Land Rover at the
earliest possible opportunity it was unlikely they could have saved
the victim. Hobson was sentenced to four years imprisonment, but with
two years served on remand, he is to be released in May.
A tearful
Diane Hamill, sister of the murdered Catholic father of three, said
that her family's campaign for justice would continue.
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