Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan has found the RUC had no prior knowledge that could have helped it prevent the UDA attack in Greysteel, Co Derry, at Halloween 1993, which claimed the lives of eight people.
The ombudsman carried out her investigation following a complaint from the SDLP MLA for the area, John Dallat, which included an allegation that he gave information to the police that was not acted upon. Mr Dallat said he gave information following a UDA attack at Castlerock, Co Derry, in which four people were murdered early in 1993. Mr Dallat said this information, if acted upon, could have prevented the Greysteel attack.
Mrs O'Loan said that her investigators were able to confirm that police received some information Mr Dallat said he had given and "they had taken appropriate action". There was no evidence, however, that he had provided information that could have prevented the Greysteel attack, according to the ombudsman.
Mrs O'Loan said it was not part of her remit to investigate whether loyalist Torrens Knight, who was jailed for life for both the Castlerock and Greysteel attacks, but was eventually freed under the Good Friday Agreement, was an agent for the British security forces who was protected from the law.
She said her investigators did not find any evidence that Knight was "protected from the rigours of the law".
She said there was evidence to the contrary, since he was convicted of both the Castlerock and Greysteel murders.
