Shot teen's family seeks fresh police probe

Relatives of a teenage girl shot dead by a police officer’s gun in the North were today hoping a new report will recommend an investigation by an outside force.

Alice McLoughlin, 16, from Portadown, Co Armagh, died after being struck by a bullet fired while she travelled in a policeman’s car in July 1991.

Amid suspicions that detectives did not properly probe the shooting, the Northern Police Ombudswoman Nuala O’Loan launched an inquiry.

Her probe followed a complaint from the family in December 2003.

As they awaited the outcome, Barry Bradbury, chairman of the Justice For Alice group, said: “We’re hoping the ombudsman’s office can give us a clear indication of what happened that night and recommend that somebody should be brought to book.”

The family have alleged that they were never allowed to carry out their own forensic examination of the car.

They have also rejected speculation that Alice may have killed herself.

Although Mr Bradbury accepted that the officer involved did not fire the fatal shot, he suggested that a third person may have been in the car.

He added: “What we want is this to be reinvestigated by an outside force because we believe the original investigation contained serious flaws.”