Police in Northern Ireland tonight face legal action over their new investigation of a loyalist murder nearly seven years ago after its original inquiry came in for stinging criticism from the Police Ombudsman.
The PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde announced a new inquiry into the murder of 61-year-old Sean Brown in May 1997, following Ombudsman, Ms Nuala O'Loan's report today, which described police efforts to track down the killers as "incomplete and inadequate".
The family of Mr Brown this afternoon thretended court action to stop the new inquiry because they want an outside force to carry it out.
The family solicitor, Mr Kevin Winter, said the Ombudsman's report was a "damning indictment" of the police investigation.
It had revealed "a litany of deficiencies and a mockery of a police investigation", he said. A reinvestigation by the PSNI would "only be a case of tarring over the cracks using the same brush".
He revealed he had been instructed by the Brown family that "if there is to be a PSNI investigation, then the family will be seeking legal redress to stop that.
"They have called quite clearly for an outside police investigation other than the PSNI," he said.
The PSNI said they had no comment to make on the threatened legal action.
The Superintendent who headed the original murder investigation, since retired, was also involved at a senior level with the Omagh Bomb investigation which was heavily criticised in an Ombudsman's report two years ago.
Mrs O'Loan said he could face no disciplinary action because of his retirement. But she said she had written to the Chief Constable recommending that his deputy - now a serving superintendent - be given retraining if he had not already had it.
Mr Brown, chairman of the Gaelic Athletic Association club in Bellaghy, Co Derry, was abducted as he locked up the club gates, bundled into the boot of his own car and later found shot dead a few miles away.
The Loyalist Volunteer Force admitted the murder and although a number of people were arrested for questioning, no one was charged.
PA