Ex-RUC officer: new investigation into death of Colum Marks destroying my life

Then, in May this year, the PPS said both the new witness evidence and the forensic report commissioned by the Marks family were at odds with the facts established in the immediate aftermath of the shooting – including the autopsy report.

Officer B, who was a senior specialist firearms instructor, said he was “far from trigger-happy,” and had never fired a shot during any other operation.

“They are destroying the latter stages of my life when all I want is peace and quiet. It’s not fair,” he said.

“This was all based on the strength of a witness saying something 25 years after the event, that was discredited at the time (1991). There was no reason to start this new investigation.

“The police ombudsman wasted a lot of money investigating something that was investigated at the time.”

Commenting specifically on the claim made by the Marks’ family solicitor Gavin Booth, that he had been “arrested for murder,” he replied: “I have never been arrested for anything. I was interviewed twice by PONI but that was a voluntary attendance. And then the original CID investigation – that was also a voluntary attendance.”

​A spokesperson for the Police Ombudsman NI said: “We can confirm that Officer B was interviewed by this office as a voluntary attender, and not under arrest.”

The PSNI has not yet responded to a request for information.

Officer B added: “The whole fallout, and the lack of support from some senior officers in the department (E4A) … I felt disappointed and let down – abandoned by the police.”

Commenting on Officer B’s claims, a PSNI spokesman said: “Operational practices within policing have developed over the past 30 years. The PSNI has improved its policies and procedures including how we support the health and wellbeing of our officers and staff.”