Previously jailed ex-RUC sergeant to be prosecuted for murder
Allison Morris, Belfast Telegraph, March 14th, 2025
POLICE OMBUDSMAN CONFIRMS DECISION AFTER PROBE INTO KILLINGS IN NI IN '70S
A former RUC sergeant has been charged with murder and attempted murder following a lengthy investigation by the Police Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman confirmed the decision to prosecute the ex-officer, understood to be John Weir.
It follows Operation Newham, examining the original police investigation into 125 murders, largely attributed to the UVF, in the Mid-Ulster and South Armagh areas in the 1970s.
Weir now lives in South Africa, and it is not known if an extradition warrant is being sought, or if he has agreed to cooperate with the prosecution.
The former RUC officer was previously convicted and served 13 years in prison in connection with the 1977 murder of Ahoghill shopkeeper William Strathearn.
The killing became known as the 'Good Samaritan murder', due to the UVF gang luring the 39-year-old father-of-seven to his front door at 2am by claiming they were seeking aspirin for a sick child, before shooting him twice.
Weir was convicted of involvement in the murder along with another man, William McCaughey.
Unquiet Graves
However, in the documentary Unquiet Graves: The Story Of The Glenanne Gang by filmmaker Sean Murray, Weir claimed the two gunmen were in fact police agents who did not serve a day in prison.
He also alleged that British security agents encouraged the UVF to carry out mass murder at a Catholic primary school in retaliation for the Kingsmill massacre, and he claimed that many of his former RUC colleagues were also involved with the UVF.
Following his release from prison, Weir also made a series of claims involving the Dublin-Monaghan bombings to the late Belfast Telegraph political editor Liam Clarke.
Weir joined the RUC in 1970 and was posted to Strandtown RUC station in east Belfast. In 1972, he was transferred to Armagh station, where he became involved with the so-called 'Glenanne gang'.
A Police Ombudsman NI spokesperson said that the office's “investigation has led to a decision by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) to prosecute the former member of the RUC for offences including murder and conspiracy to murder that occurred in Northern Ireland, together with an aborted attack in the Republic of Ireland”.
In previous media interviews, Weir claimed that many of the gang's operations were planned and prepared at a farm owned by RUC reserve officer James Mitchell at Glenanne, Co Armagh.
Delayed publication of PONI report
As a result of the decision to prosecute, Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson said there will be a delay in the publication of the full Operation Newham report, saying that to publish it would be potentially prejudicial to the future criminal proceedings.
Ms Anderson said she also considered the publication of a significantly amended version of the public statement, but concluded that a “revised version would not adequately address the complaints made by the families”.
“To publish the full public statement would potentially be prejudicial and I, therefore, gave careful consideration to publishing an amended form of the report,” continued Ms Anderson.
“However, given the significant amount of linked information, such a report would be so substantially changed that it would not present a complete and comprehensive account of the investigation and could be misleading.
“It is my intention to provide as full a narrative as possible of all matters relevant to my investigation and its conclusions.
“The only viable option open to me, therefore, is to seek an extension to the timeframes permitted under the transitional arrangements of the Legacy Act for completion of reports before April 30, 2025.
Deadline extension sought
“We are engaging with the NIO [Northern Ireland Office] to ask that the deadline be extended to allow the criminal proceedings to take place, after which I will be able to report on Operation Newham in full.”
She added that, due to legal considerations, the Police Ombudsman is at this stage unable to provide any further detail of the specific matters to which the charges relate.
A Public Prosecution Service spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a decision was taken to prosecute one person reported on a file submitted by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland in connection with their Operation Newham investigation.
“The decision to prosecute the former RUC officer for offences which include murder and conspiracy to murder was taken in February 2024.
“Due to ongoing proceedings, the PPS is unable to comment any further at this time.”
Gavin Booth of Phoenix Law, who represents some of the families involved, said: “We welcome the decision to prosecute one of the many suspects in the Glenanne series of murders.
“Today's decision proves that prosecutions can still happen when there is the will to properly investigate.”
Former RUC officer charged with murder is living in South Africa
By Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, March 14th, 2025
PPS and Police Ombudsman refuse to say how many murder charges faced by former police officer
Former RUC sergeant John Weir, who is facing murder charges linked to the notorious Glenanne Gang, is believed to be living in South Africa.
It was confirmed on Thursday the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has decided to prosecute the former RUC officer, who was an alleged member of the Genanne Gang, for murder and conspiracy to murder.
He is also charged with an aborted attack south of the border.
Both the PPS and Police Ombudsman’s office have refused to reveal how many murder charges the ex-police officer is facing.
Glenanne Gang tried to kill campaigning Catholic priest Fr Denis Faul.
It is understood the ombudsman’s office contacted representatives for the family of Elizabeth McDonald (32) on Thursday.
The mother-of-three, who was known as Betty to friends, was killed along with Gerald McGleenan (22) when the Glenanne gang left a car bomb outside the Step Inn in Keady, Co Armagh, in August 1976.
It is believed ombudsman officials also got in touch with the family of Thomas McNamee.
Mr McNamee died almost a year after being injured in an explosion at McArdle’s Bar in Crossmaglen in November 1974.
When asked about the possible extradition of the suspect, the PSNI directed the Irish News to the Police Ombudsman, who in turn said “the matter” sits with PPS.
The PPS did not respond at the time of publication.
Gang active across Mid-Ulster
Made up of members of the RUC, UDR and UVF, the Glenanne Gang operated across the Mid-Ulster area in the 1970s.
A farm in Glenanne was alleged to be the base for the gang of the same name
Based out of a farm owned by former RUC officer James Mitchell in Glenanne in south Armagh, the gang is believed to have carried out around 125 murders, the majority of which were innocent Catholics.
Its activities are currently subject to separate investigations by the Police Ombudsman, Operation Newham, and the Kenova investigation team.
The Police Ombudsman has now confirmed the publication of its long-awaited Newham report will not take place before an April 30 deadline introduced due to the British government’s Legacy Act.
In a statement, ombudsman Marie Anderson said she is “engaging with the NIO” to request a deadline extension.
Another victim of the Step Inn bomb was Co Armagh woman Maria McShane, who lost an eye in the blast.
At the time she was pregnant with her eldest son Gavin, who was murdered by the UVF along with his friend Shane McArdle in a taxi depot in Armagh in May 1994.
Her daughter Alana welcomed news of the prosecution.
“However, we note that this former RUC officer was but ... a whistle blower,” she said.
“And as such we want those higher up the chain of command within the RUC, British army and British government of the time who organised the appalling policy of collusion also held to account.”
Suspicious timing
Her solicitor Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, said while some families cautiously welcome the prosecutions they are “suspicious over its timing”.
“Equally they are suspicious that the decision amounts to some contrived latter-day consolation for failing to direct prosecutions against other ex-security force personnel some of whom arguably have more to answer for.”
Mr Winters said there was concern over the delay in publishing the Operation Newham report.
“Families of victims and survivors have waited a lifetime for these important findings and now their hopes of getting the report any time soon lie in ruins,”
Gavin Booth, of Phoenix Law, who represents the McDonald family welcomed the decision to prosecute.
“There remains many suspects who still remain free from prosecution in relation to 120 murders in the Glenanne series both north and south,” he said.
“It shows that with the right political will that people today can still be prosecuted for legacy matters going back to the 1970s.
“We hope the suspects appear before the court here without any undue delay.”
Long looking at ‘legal defenders’ option to Barristers strike
Jonathan McCambridge, Irish News, March 14th, 2025
SCOPING work has begun on looking at “alternative provision” for legal defence services while industrial action by criminal barristers continues, Justice Minister Naomi Long has told MLAs.
She said that while she was “not enamoured” of the idea of a public defender’s office in Northern Ireland, she had to explore other options to “ensure the sustainability of the justice system as a whole”.
The Criminal Bar Association (CBA), which represents criminal barristers, has withdrawn some services in recent months in a dispute over legal aid fees.
Ms Long had said earlier this week that the action was causing “serious damage” to the justice system.
She also told the assembly her department was on track to introduce a 16% increase in civil, family and criminal legal aid fees in May.
The CBA has scaled back its action this month but is continuing to refuse some new cases.
Ms Long was asked about the dispute when she appeared before the Justice Committee yesterday.
She told the committee she had consistently reached out to representatives of the CBA and said all sides wanted to see a return to full services.
SDLP MLA Justin McNulty said he had concerns that the relationship between the department and the CBA had become “strained”.
The minister responded: “The relationships, it would be fair to say, are strained at the moment, that is certainly the view of the Criminal Bar.
“It is not something I would necessarily lay at the feet of my officials who have gone out of their way and above and beyond in terms of the level of engagement they have had with the Criminal Bar and with the Bar Council more widely.”
Stormont’s Justice Minister Naomi Long gave evidence to her scrutiny committee yesterday.
She added: “In terms of that strain, I have met with the Bar, I have discussed directly with the Criminal Bar my concerns; at the end of the day relationships are a two-way street.
“I am willing to do what I can in terms of trying to reach a settlement with them that they are content and satisfied with, but it has to be one that is based on evidence.”
Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey asked what “alternative models” the minister had been looking at if the industrial action continued.
Ms Long said: “If this continues for a prolonged period – this started in December, we are now sitting in March – we don’t know what will happen for the rest of the spring and summer.
“If this continues for a sustained period, what that means for individuals and for the justice system is stark.
“We do have to now look at scoping out alternative ways of providing for defence, in the same way that we have alternative ways, that we have a public prosecution service.
“Now, I am not enamoured of the idea of a public defender’s office, I have always been really clear that one of the important things we have is the freedom for an individual to choose their own defence and not to be limited in how they do that.”
The minister said barristers had raised concerns with her that it was not financially sustainable for them to take on some cases.
She added: “If they are saying it is just unsustainable for independent barriers to do that work, we will have to look at a different delivery model.
“It would be reckless of me as Justice Minister not to be asking officials to start to scope that out.
“However, it is at very early stages so we are not settled on models, we are not settled on what options are available.”
Strained relations
The relationships, it would be fair to say, are strained at the moment, that is certainly the view of the Criminal Bar
The minister said some barristers currently struggle to get work.
She told the committee: “It may be that some of those people would be willing to do the work were we to have a different structure in place.
“It would allow them to gain High Court experience, would allow them to be able to get a foothold in the profession.
“If there are mechanisms that we can do that, we need to explore all options.”
Ms Long said if the situation with the CBA could be resolved then her department could “park” any discussion on alternative models.
She added: “But in the interim, and until I have some sense the Bar intends on coming back to full service, I will have to scope out what alternative provision might be necessary.
“That is not something that can happen overnight but it is something we will have to look at to ensure the sustainability of the justice system as a whole.”
