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Shooting 'justified' but policing failings listed

The probe into a death during an armed robbery in 1998 has concluded that there were ‘serious deficiencies’ in garda management of the incident.

Ronan MacLochlainn was shot dead by gardaí during an attempted armed robbery of a Securicor van in Co. Wicklow in May 1998

The MacLochlainn Commission was established in August 2014 to probe the death, with barrister Mary Rose Gearty as sole member.

Disclosure

The Commission’s report has now found that the shooting of Ronan MacLochlainn was justified.  However, it found serious deficiencies in the garda investigation of the shooting, as well as in relation to record keeping, the disclosure of information, and other matters.

The report notes a range of developments since the events in question, including in particular the establishment of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), which would have responsibility for investigating any comparable incident if it were to happen today. 

Closure

Justice minister Charlie Flanagan thanked Mary Rose Gearty SC, for the comprehensive report and said he hoped its clear findings would bring a degree of closure to all concerned.

The MacLochlainn Commission of Investigation report can be found here.