Politics

PSNI chief contradicts Sinn Féin claim about potential prejudice in former press officer case

Two Sinn Féin press officers gave references to the British Heart Foundation on behalf of a former colleague who was subsequently convicted of child sex offences

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher says he does not see how a warning would have prejudiced the investigation. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher says he does not see how a warning would have prejudiced the investigation. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
Freya McClements Northern Editor
Thu Oct 03 2024 - 20:51

The North’s Chief Constable has said it would not have prejudiced the police investigation if Sinn Féin had warned the British Heart Foundation about the arrest of a former press officer who went on to work for the charity.

Jon Boutcher told a meeting of the Policing Board on Thursday that while he was not familiar with the detail of the case, “I don’t see how it would prejudice the investigation.”

Sinn Féin has faced deepening criticism over its handling of the controversy surrounding its Northern media operation after two of its press officers gave references on behalf of a former colleague who was subsequently convicted of child sex offences.

Seán Mag Uidhir, an influential Sinn Féin figure who headed the party’s media operation in the North, and his colleague, Caolán McGinley, quit at the weekend after it emerged they provided the references for another former party press officer, Michael McMonagle.

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Last week McMonagle (42), from Limewood Street in Derry, pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and 12 counts of attempted sexual communication with a child on dates from 2020-2021.

McMonagle was suspended from his job with Sinn Féin after he was arrested in August 2021, and in September 2022 was appointed to the role of communications and engagement manager with the British Heart Foundation in Belfast.

The charges against him became public in July 2023, and he was suspended and then dismissed by the charity.

The Sinn Féin vice-president and the North’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, said she was “aghast and horrified” at the actions of Mr Mag Uidhir and Mr McGinley and defended her own role, saying “whenever this came to my attention last Wednesday that both individuals had provided references, I took immediate action”.

However, Minister for the Economy Conor Murphy, when asked by the BBC why Sinn Féin did not inform the British Heart Foundation about McMonagle’s arrest after he was present at events in Stormont as part of his new employment, said it could not do anything which could “potentially be prejudicial” to the police investigation.

Asked about this by the DUP MLA Trevor Clarke, the Chief Constable said “again, the police is the lightning rod here, I don’t want to get dragged into any political tit-for-tat”.

“We can’t track organisations who are receiving information about individuals who might be working for them. If people write to us, then we’ll respond to those people if there’s a concern about an individual, there’s not a lot more I can really say about that.”

In a statement issued after the meeting, Mr Clarke said it was “important that on issues as serious as safeguarding children, public representatives are factual in the comments they make”, and said Mr Murphy should “apologise and make it clear he accepts what he said was wrong”.

Sinn Féin has been contacted for comment.

The British Heart Foundation on Thursday provided more detail on its recruitment policies after Ms O’Neill said that if a former employee applied for another job, “there’s due diligence required from that new employer also”.

The charity previously said McMonagle had been employed following the “provision of two professional references – neither of which raised a concern about his suitability for employment or referenced an ongoing police investigation or suspension from his previous employment”.

It is understood an enhanced Access NI background check was not requested, as would have been the case with some roles with the charity, because the job did not meet the requirements as it does not involve working alone with children, vulnerable adults or patients.

The British Heart Foundation said it first became aware of his arrest and the criminal charges against him in July 2023, and he was suspended “as soon as possible”.

“We have extremely robust recruitment and safeguarding policies, all of which were followed when appointing this employee and initiating our investigation,” the charity said.

The parents of organ donation campaigner Daíthí Mac Gabhann have expressed their concern of the use of images including the six year old in coverage of the story.

Ms O’Neill and other Sinn Féin figures were present at an event in Stormont in February 2023 in support of his campaign, and images have circulated which show McMonagle was also present.

The First Minister has said she “did not know anything about Michael McMonagle’s whereabouts or employment”.

The Mac Gabhann family said they “do not condone the use of Daíthí’s image for any purpose outside of this mission”. Additional reporting – PA.

Freya McClements

Freya McClements

Freya McClements is Northern Editor of The Irish Times