THE Police Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the murder of Jim 'JD' Donegan in west Belfast before Christmas.
Mr Donegan (43) was shot dead outside St Mary's Grammar School on the Glen Road on December 4 as he sat in his Porsche waiting to collect his 13-year-old son.
The Police Ombudsman’s Office last night confirmed it is investigating how the PSNI dealt with information about a potential threat to the father-of-three.
It came as a 63 year-old man arrested by detectives investigating the murder was released without charge.
In a statement a spokeswoman for the ombudsman last night said: “The Police Ombudsman has commenced an investigation into how the PSNI dealt with information about a potential threat to James Donegan, received by police prior to his murder.
“The Police Ombudsman's Office is now investigating whether this information was properly processed and actioned by police."
The spokeswoman added that Mr Donegan’s family had been informed about their investigation.
CCTV footage released by the PSNI after the murder revealed how the gunman, who was wearing a high-viz coat, walked to the scene of the shooting before fleeing on foot afterwards.
After his killing his widow said he was not involved with any criminal activity.
