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Prison Service Chief welcomes finding that there was no collusion in murder of Billy Wright

Speaking for the Northern Ireland Prison Service, the Director General, Robin Masefield, today commented on the report of the Billy Wright Inquiry Panel.
~ Tuesday, 14 September 2010

“On behalf of current and former members of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, I welcome the key finding in the Inquiry report that there was no collusion in the murder of Billy Wright in the Maze Prison nearly 13 years ago. This dispels a cloud that has unfairly hung over the Service since the allegation was first made.

“As to the findings of negligence, I would point out that NIPS had previously, as long ago as 2002, accepted negligence in civil proceedings. But it is important to note that the report, after its exhaustive proceedings over four years, makes no finding that any failing by any manager or member of staff was intentional.

He continued: “In reading the Inquiry’s report, one needs to recall the very different circumstances at the time. Maze was a unique institution holding over 500 prisoners with specific paramilitary affiliations. In seeking to manage Maze, the Northern Ireland Prison Service was required to handle a range of very challenging situations, often operating under constraints beyond its control.

“It is the more remarkable that the Maze’s safety record in the preceding years compared favourably to other prisons in Great Britain which were demonstrably easier to manage.

“The Prison Service will be looking to see if there are lessons that can be learned for application to the current context and will consider how best to take forward the recommendations which apply to it.”

Mr Masefield concluded by recognising the demanding circumstances that staff worked under at the time. He said;

“I would however want to take the opportunity to pay a very sincere tribute to all the management and staff who sought to maintain standards in a very difficult operating environment.”

Notes to editors

  1. Billy Wright was shot in the Maze Prison by three republican paramilitary prisoners on 27 December 1997. At that time the Loyalist Volunteer Force and the Irish National Liberation Army prisoners were accommodated on the opposite sides of one of the H Blocks, H6. The Inquiry has accepted that NIPS was right to transfer Billy Wright to the Maze Prison and the Service’s reasons for rejecting alternatives within the prison.
  2. Following Billy Wright’s death, there were allegations that there had been state collusion in the murder, along with Prison Service management. Following a decision reached at the 2001 Weston Park talks, a retired Canadian Judge, The Honourable Justice Peter Cory, was asked to investigate allegations of collusion in four deaths, including that of Billy Wright.
  3. The report by Mr Justice Cory published in April 2004 reached the view that there was “evidence capable of constituting collusion.” He added that “without public scrutiny, doubts based solely on myth and suspicion will linger long, fester and spread their malignant infection…..” He concluded that there was evidence to indicate “matters of concern which warranted further and more detailed inquiry.”
  4. The Billy Wright Inquiry was announced in November 2004. Its membership was The Rt. Honourable Lord Ranald MacLean (Chair), Professor Andrew Coyle and The Rt. Rev. John Oliver.
  5. In responding to a civil action for damages by the Wright family in 2002, the Northern Ireland Prison Service accepted that it had demonstrably been negligent in its duty of care. The Service has however consistently denied any possibility of collusion and the Inquiry Panel has concluded that there was no evidence of collusive acts or collusive conduct.
  6. NIPS has also previously accepted, on the public record, that the destruction of certain documents was not fully in accordance with its policy, for which it has apologised to the Inquiry.
  7. Over one hundred serving and former NIPS staff were involved in the proceedings. The Inquiry held public hearings on 156 days between 2005 and 2009.
  8. All media enquiries should be directed to the Prison Service Press Office on 028 9052 5354. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.