1 April 1999 Edition
Hamill independent inquiry call
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.
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.