Police Ombudsman's report into Bertie Frazer IRA murder 'confirmed our worst fears', says family

The police ombudsman has found the RUC investigation into the “sectarian” IRA murder of Bertie Frazer failed his family, and called the level of record keeping “a stark example of limited police record management”.

Responding, PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally from Justice Branch, said Mr Frazer was an “innocent father of nine” who was murdered in “a sickening, sectarian attack”.

He said policing had “developed enormously” since the 1976 murder.

In her report to the family, the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland Marie Anderson stressed concern about the junior rank of the officer leading the investigation, witness and suspect strategies, the disposal of the weapon and lack of engagement with the family.

The conclusions were made by Mrs Anderson before her retirement in December.

Bertie Frazer, 47, a part-time UDR member, was shot dead as he left a farm he worked at near Whitecross. No-one has ever been convicted of his murder.

He was the father of victims’ campaigner Willie Frazer, who died in 2019.

Mrs Anderson said Mr Frazer was “a victim of sectarian violence and PIRA alone was responsible for his murder, concluding that, from the failings identified, Mr Frazer’s family were failed by the RUC investigation into his murder”.

Assistant Chief Constable McNally said they would take time to study the findings of the report.

“The pain of such a devastating loss does not fade and my thoughts today are with the Frazer family who I met recently with the chief constable.”