Family faces four-year wait for investigation into handling of murder case

A complaint into the failure of police in a historical murder case will not be investigated until April 2027, the Police Ombudsman has said.

The reason cited for the delay was a large number of historical complaints and limited resources.

Jim Murphy was shot dead in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, in April 1974.

Joan Corrigan, a niece of Mr Murphy, raised a formal complaint with the Office of the Police Ombudsman in 2022 due to the failures of historic police investigations, including those by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Historical Enquiries Team.

The Ombudsman’s office informed Ms Corrigan the case had been formally accepted and it scored highly in the prioritisation phase of assessment.

It also said the case would not be able to commence investigation until April 2027 at the earliest due to a lack of resources and a backlog of legacy cases.

Ms Corrigan said the four-year wait for the investigation to begin was “disgraceful”.

She said: “My uncle Jim was a quiet, well-known and well-respected man, much loved by his family, and a respected member of the local community in Derrylin. He was a member of Fermanagh Civil Rights Association and worked for basic human rights.

“Whilst I welcome an investigation by the Office of the Police Ombudsman, it is disgraceful that the date given is 2027.

“Next year will see the 50th anniversary of my uncle Jim’s murder and Jim will still be denied any measure of justice.”

A spokesperson for the Police Ombudsman’s Office said the wait was due to limited resources, adding that if the controversial Legacy Bill becomes law all historical investigations, including Jim Murphy’s, will cease.

“Given the large number of historical complaints which have been made to the Office, and our limited investigative resources for such cases, we do not anticipate that we will be able to commence this investigation before April 2027,” it said.

“However, as currently drafted, the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill 2022-2023, if enacted, will cause all Police Ombudsman historical investigations to cease.”

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill would provide amnesty to people who committed crimes during the Troubles if they co-operated with a new truth recovery committee.

The Bill – which would prevent future court proceedings or inquests – has been condemned by Northern Ireland political parties and the Irish government.