File on Bobby Storey funeral inquiry to be sent to public prosecutor

A file on the police investigation into whether Covid-19 regulations were breached at the funeral of leading republican Bobby Storey in June this year is to be submitted to the North's Public Prosecution Service on Friday, police have confirmed.

Deputy chief constable Mark Webster of Cumbria Constabulary, who was appointed to oversee and direct the PSNI inquiry into the funeral, said on Thursday that he has now completed his inquiry.

Some thousands of people lined the road of the funeral cortege in west Belfast for Mr Storey's funeral on June 30th, while several hundred gathered at the republican plot at Milltown Cemetery to hear tributes to the senior IRA figure from the likes of Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald and former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.

Several other Sinn Féin figures attended the funeral including Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Minister of Finance Conor Murphy.

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Well-placed sources said that Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and finance Minister Conor Murphy did give evidence to the investigation team over allegations that they breached the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020.

They have denied such claims.

When asked did Ms McDonald and Mr Adams give evidence a Sinn Fein spokesperson replied, "Sinn Féin made it clear that our representatives would co-operate with the PSNI investigation and a number of Sinn Féin representatives were interviewed. We have no further comment to make."

“We have now interviewed 24 individuals suspected of having breached the regulations and a file will be submitted to the Public Prosecution Service on Friday 18th December, 2020,” said Mr Webster on Thursday.

“I will not be making any further comment so as not to prejudice any future decision made by the PPS,” he added.

It could be several weeks or longer before the PPS decides whether prosecutions should follow.

Attendance

The large attendance at the funeral caused great controversy, particularly among unionists. There were also allegations that the PSNI failed to meet its responsibilities by handing over the effective policing of the funeral to Sinn Féin.

Last week the PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said there would have been "widespread violence and disorder" if police had tried to stop or disperse the crowds attending the funeral.

“I don’t think so,” he told the BBC when asked did the PSNI abdicate its responsibilities to Sinn Féin.

He said, “I think obviously there’s a public image and people will draw conclusions about how we went about policing that event, and again we’re always here to learn lessons, reflect and see where we can do things differently, but we’re in nobody’s pocket, we don’t collude with anybody, we just have to use discretion – which is at the heart of our policing style – to make judgments about how we can safely enable all sorts of events to take place.”

Mr Byrne would not be drawn on the extent of any advance planning between the PSNI and Sinn Féin as to how the funeral should be managed.