Police Ombudsman Finds 1993 Loyalist Murder Investigation Inadequate, No Arrests Made

A Police Ombudsman investigation has found that the 1993 police investigation into the loyalist murder of Peter Gallagher, a father of seven from Toomebridge, was "wholly inadequate". Although 12 individuals linked by significant intelligence should have been of interest, none were arrested, and the initial police response, while comprehensive, failed to lead to convictions. The report criticized the decision to cease surveillance of the UDA/UFF's Shankill-based 'C Company' two days before the murder, despite multiple intelligence reports indicating active attack planning; surveillance was paused to focus on IRA activity. Within days of surveillance being suspended, Gallagher and 17-year-old Damien Walsh were murdered, with additional attempted murders occurring before surveillance resumed. The Ombudsman found no evidence that intelligence, if acted upon, could have prevented Gallagher's murder, nor that security forces provided information to paramilitaries to facilitate the attack. Despite these failures, the investigation highlights the challenges of historical cases and calls into question why potential suspects were never arrested.