Bobby Storey funeral: Roselawn gathering was ‘a low-key dignified send-off’ says report which absolves council of acting politically

A copy of the internal council report into the Storey funeral (as opposed to the independent report which is now pending) effectively absolves the council of politically motivated decision-making around the event.
By Adam Kula
Published 15th Jul 2020, 07:00 BST
Updated 15th Jul 2020, 15:15 BST
Bobby Storey in 2018Bobby Storey in 2018
Bobby Storey in 2018

The council had refused to send a copy to the News Letter, but the paper has obtained one nevertheless.

Among the many findings in the report is that council officers described the gathering at Roselawn, where Mr Storey was cremated, as being a “low-key dignified send-off” with no flag or paramilitary trappings (although it also goes on to say that there have “previously been a substantial number of paramilitary funerals with trappings and stewarding arrangements at Roselawn”).

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It also says that despite the mourners bringing their own team of stewards to the council-controlled complex, “the gates of Roselawn were controlled by council wardens at all times”.

The council report goes on to say it “appears” there were seven people in stewarding roles, and that 28 mourners were present at the service in Roselawn, which lasted 30 minutes.

Despite there being three available slots for cremations after Mr Storey that day, the council barred the public from booking them.

The internal report describes this as “not unusual as a precaution to ensure mourners arrive and leave without the individual parties being on-site at the same time”.

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The report states that there had been a failure “to take account of the perception of differential treatment” for other families on that day of the funeral on June 30.

But it concludes: “We are satisfied there was no political intent in decision-making in relation to the cremation of Bobby Storey.”

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