Drew Harris says gardai revisiting Stardust files as ‘investigations back to the fore’ after new verdict | KMW003E | 2024-05-01 00:08:01
Drew Harris says gardai revisiting Stardust files as 'investigations back to the fore' after new verdict | KMW003E | 2024-05-01 00:08:01
GARDA Commissioner Drew Harris has revealed cops are revisiting files on the Stardust tragedy in relation to a possible criminal probe.
At a Policing Authority meeting in Co Limerick, Harris was asked about the potential for a new criminal investigation following last week's inquests' verdict of unlawful killing.
And the Garda Commissioner told how he has asked officers to revisit two tranches of files regarding the Stardust disaster.
Harris said he expects to receive a report shortly from the Dublin City coroner.
He added that there was a memorandum of understanding in place, where, in the wake of the verdict, the coroner will bring issues to his attention if she thinks they are relevant to gardaí.
Harris said he has asked the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation to "revisit" two investigation files that were submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions, one from the early 80s and another from 2016.
He said he expects to receive a report from the coroner Dr Myra Cullinane in the next two or three weeks.
Harris acknowledged that the inquest verdict has "brought our investigations back to the fore".
The top cop said: "We're at the beginning of the road in examining what's being done."
And the Irish Sun's podcast on the Stardust fire tragedy is sailing up the charts just hours after it was released.
The eight-parter explores one of Ireland's worst disasters, telling the tragic story of the infamous night of February 14 1981 when 48 young people lost their lives in the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin.
And following its premiere on Thursday, the pod was a hit on all popular podcast platforms.
A fresh episode will be released weekly as the Irish Sun investigates one of the most shocking disasters in Irish history.
Taoiseach Simon Harris this week issued a State apology to the families of the Stardust fire tragedy – more than 40 years after the blaze.
Mr Harris is to write a "personal" letter of apology to Stardust families in the aftermath of his State apology in the Dail.
The Taoiseach pledged to write to families in the coming days to express his remorse for what happened.
A new inquest into the fire at the Stardust nightclub in Artane, Dublin, on Valentine's Day in 1981 found the blaze was started by an electrical fault in a hot press.
The jury ruled the 48 victims – aged 16 to 27 – were unlawfully killed, with a number of issues contributing to their deaths, including the fact some exits were locked.
The new inquiry into the tragedy came after 43 years of campaigning by families who were distraught at the finding of a separate probe which ruled the horror inferno was arson.
The State repeatedly blocked the families' attempts to get the truth and justice for their lost loved ones.
After the ruling of the new inquest, Mr Harris announced the Government plans to provide counselling for the Stardust families.
The families' solicitor Darragh Mackin welcomed the move, saying this is the first time they have been provided with the necessary support to accompany them "on this deeply traumatic journey".
Mackin highlighted how grieving relatives had told the Taoiseach last weekend how they had been "left out in the cold having to fend for themselves without any support or counselling services".
The families' solicitor said the Mr Harris has now acted and should be commended for responding with decisiveness.
- Listen to Episode One of the Stardust Tragedy, from the creators of the Kinahans and the Making of a Detective podcasts, out now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
More >> https://ift.tt/3lK2IZV Source: MAG NEWS
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