Latest twist in 'Hamas gunman' saga: Former police commander believes image is real - and calls on police to act

Former policeman Jon Burrows was reacting to the latest twist in the bizarre tale of the camouflage-clad man.

It all began earlier this week when an image was circulated by an extremist anti-Jewish Twitter account (which claims to be satirical), which praised the costume.

The picture purported to show a man with a fake gun clad in combat fatigues, wearing a Palestinian flag patch, and with a headband bearing some kind of inscription, walking around in Londonderry’s Guildhall Square in broad daylight amid Halloween-themed stalls and entertainment.

The News Letter examined the image closely, and found that the layout of the stalls in the image appeared to be different from another picture of the 2023 Guildhall celebrations, calling into question when the image was taken or whether it was authentic – though it was not possible to reach a firm conclusion.

The PSNI said no-one had reported a man in such outlandish gear, and nor did CCTV reveal anything.

Chief Superintendent Nigel Goddard said that whilst he remained “open-minded” he believed it was “a fake image”.

Now two other images have begun circulating online, one purporting to show the same man outside what looks like a cafe, and the other showing him in the front garden of a house in the city.

At the same time a TikTok video also surfaced on Friday showing a woman saying that a man in camouflage came to her house on Halloween night, implying it was akin to a trick-or-treat visit, that he had come inside, and then left.

Jon Burrows is a former head of the PSNI’s disciplinary unit, and served for 10 years in Londonderry – three of them as its area commander.

He left the force in 2021 and now runs a blog (afaircopuk.blog/).

He believes both the anti-Jewish Twitter account which first shared the image, and the man in the picture, may have broken the law around the promotion of terrorism / malicious communications.

He insisted that there must be a “robust investigation” by police, adding: “There’s nothing funny about this. Hamas have just killed thousands of people.

"It shouldn’t be missed that 30 years ago just a few miles from here terrorists walked into a bar and started shooting people]dead [this is a reference to the Greysteel atrocity just before Halloween 1993, when the UDA killed eight people not far from the city].

"I totally condemn it. And we need to see broader political condemnation and stronger language from the police.”

Meanwhile DUP Foyle MLA Gary Middleton said: “It is unacceptable that the PSNI rushed to rubbish the accuracy of this image without being in full receipt of the facts.

"Whilst I recognise that enquiries are still taking place, senior officers jumping the gun in this way will do precious little to assuage concerns about fair and effective policing.

"There are questions about the police approach to this matter.

"The information I have received suggests there are those in the community who are in possession of footage and other evidence that could assist this investigation.

"It is crucial that those individuals are contacted and that fresh reports by concerned members of the public are followed up effectively.

”Hamas are a proscribed organisation in the UK and many other countries throughout the world. The glorification of terrorism on our streets and at community celebrations attended by children and young people is perverse and must be stamped out.

"It’s incumbent on all parties and agencies to send a strong message to those behind this incident, and indeed all those intent on promoting violence, especially at a time when there are rising concerns over anti-Semitism locally.

”I’d encourage the PSNI not to be pressurised by fringe elements in relation to this issue and to keep focus on bringing those responsible for the incident to justice.”

Asked for their latest line on Friday, the PSNI said: "We have received a number of reports of a person dressed in a uniform in the city centre of Derry / Londonderry during the Halloween festival.

"We are also aware of additional images circulating on social media. Enquiries are ongoing."