Member's statement: BBC 'Spotlight' Programme: Constables Harry Beckett and Gary Meyer

Member's statement by Mr Jon Burrows on 23 March 2026.

MLA

Mr Jon Burrows

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

23 March 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

BBC 'Spotlight' Programme: Constables Harry Beckett and Gary Meyer

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5465228

Read the official Assembly record

Text

On 30 June 1990, two community police officers were murdered in Belfast, shot by the Provisional IRA: Constable Harry Beckett and Constable Gary Meyer. They left behind a wife each and three children who were later orphaned. Another man was killed in a linked attack: James Babington, an entirely innocent man, was also murdered by the IRA.

The unimaginable grief of the families and colleagues of those two innocent men was compounded in 2015, when BBC journalist Chris Moore made a 'Spotlight' programme alleging that the weapons used in their murders had been in the possession of the Royal Ulster Constabulary's Special Branch and that, having been tested, they were handed back to the IRA, which committed the murders. That caused real devastation, but there was not a scintilla of evidence to support Chris Moore's assertions. In fact, the weapons were recovered after the attack. One had been dropped, and the other came from the dreadful murder of two corporals in Belfast. A complaint went to the Police Ombudsman about the assertions made by the 'Spotlight' programme. The Police Ombudsman took 10 years to come to the conclusion that the guns involved had not been in the hands of RUC Special Branch at any time. In fact, inquiries conducted since show that Chris Moore relied on a whistle-blower who had left the relevant department six years before these guns got into the hands of the IRA, let alone Special Branch, which they never did. The journalist did not reveal in his programme that the star whistle-blower had stopped cooperating with him during the making of it. He did not disclose that he had encouraged the widow of Constable Meyer to wear a wire and try to get the whistle-blower to repeat his unsubstantiated evidence. It took the ombudsman 10 years to get to the truth — the same ombudsman that complains about RUC investigations being slow. What made it worse was that a senior member of the ombudsman's office took part in the BBC 'Spotlight' programme and gave validity to Chris Moore's false allegations. Complaints were made to the BBC and the ombudsman; they were brushed under the carpet. Fresh complaints have been made against Chris Moore and the BBC. The programme should never have gone out. No due diligence was carried out, and there was no evidence or truth to it. The widow of Gary Meyer went to her grave waiting for the truth; she did not get it. There needs to be accountability and an end to the besmirching of the proud reputation of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

430 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:06 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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