Police could have saved him claim Andrew’s family

David Lorimer said he was shocked to read in last week’s Lurgan Mail that a police officer had been disciplined in relation to the probe into his brother’s manslaughter.

Andrew Lorimer was found dead in his flat in February 2012 after suffering a savage beating. He died later from a punctured lung.

In November, two of his killers were jailed for five years, while a third man got four. The family were “disgusted” by the sentences and campaigned to increase them.

David Lorimcer said he was disgusted that the Police Ombudsman, who issued the report, released the document regarding the probe into the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death without telling the family first.

Andrew’s assailants rang police after the attack and told them to look for a man who had been beaten up at Portlec Place, where Andrew’s flat was.

The Ombudsman found that the call handler did not pass on the street name but instead asked a patrol car to check the nearby phone box from which the call was made.

The Ombudsman found the failure to pass on the street name did not contribute to Andrew’s death, as three patrols checked Portlec Place and found nothing.

However, David insists that Andrew could have been saved if one of the patrols had properly checked Portlec Place and found Andrew. “It’s not acceptable” said David.

Mr Lorimer said the family were also upset that the Ombudsman’s report was sent to the media first. “It’s like another stab in the heart. We are meant to be grieving but with all this, it feels as raw as ever.”