PSNI whistleblower tells tribunal: I did the right thing

Giving evidence, long-serving detective Geoff Ferris said the “bullying and harassment” he and fellow detective Conor McStravick had suffered stemmed from disclosures they made about a senior officer’s conduct.

Mr Ferris, a well-known Irish League footballer, who in his role as a detective had been key in gaining a confession from Castlerock killer Hazel Stewart, told the tribunal he did the “right thing” by blowing the whistle.

“I knew there would be a lot of pain by reporting these issues to management but I knew it was the right thing to do,” said Mr Ferris.

As well as performance issues about a senior officer, he said there were issues with sectarian and homophobic comments and personal use of a police car.

Mr Ferris claimed the most recent incident of “bullying” was a barrage of phone calls urging him to take a post he didn’t want in Strand Road, Londonderry, where there was a death threat hanging over him from a previous role.

When asked who he thought was behind the alleged conspiracy that had seen Mr Ferris and Mr McStravick “shut out” from their old department and pressurised into moving to a station where “no one wanted to go”, he pointed the finger at a senior figure in HR.

Mr Ferris described several run-ins he’d had with the HR man, though he had never met him in person.

The tribunal continues with some senior officers due to give evidence.