James Nesbitt MBE (29 September 1934 – 27 August 2014) was a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Detective Chief Inspector who was best known for having headed the Murder Squad team investigating the notorious Shankill Butchers' killings in the mid-1970s. Working from the C Division headquarters at Tennent Street off Shankill Road, Belfast, he eventually caught most of the "Butchers" which led to their convictions. Having received a total of 67 commendations throughout his career, this is the highest number for any policeman in the history of the United Kingdom. In 1980, he was given the MBE "in recognition of his courage and success in combating terrorism".
Early years
Nesbitt was born in 1934 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the son of James, an electrician, and Ellen. He was brought up in the Church of Ireland religion and lived with his parents and elder sister, Maureen in a terraced house in Cavehill Road, North Belfast which was considered to have been a middle-class area at the time. Having first attended the Model Primary School in Ballysillan Road, in 1946 he moved on to Belfast Technical High School where he excelled as a pupil. From an early age Nesbitt was fascinated by detective stories and dreamed about becoming a detective himself.
As a child he avidly read all the celebrated murder trials in the newspapers. At the age of 16, he opted to leave school and went to work as a sales representative for a linen company where he remained for seven years.
Royal Ulster Constabulary
At the age of 23, Nesbitt sought a more exciting career and realised his childhood dream by joining the Royal Ulster Constabulary as a uniformed constable. He applied at the York Road station in Belfast and passed his entry exams. His first duty station was at Swatragh, County Londonderry . During this period the Irish Republican Army's Border Campaign was being waged. Nesbitt earned two commendations during the 12 months he spent at the Swatragh station, having fought off two separate IRA gun attacks which had seen a B Specials man shot. In 1958 he was transferred to Coleraine RUC station where his superiors granted him the opportunity to assist in detective work, and three years later was promoted to the rank of detective.
He married Marion Wilson in 1967 and began to raise a family. By 1971 he was back in his native Belfast and held the rank of Detective Sergeant. He had entered the RUC's CID section and was based at Musgrave Street station. Many members of the RUC found themselves targeted by both republican and loyalist paramilitaries as the conflict known as The Troubles grew in intensity during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
C Division
In September 1973 he was promoted to Detective Inspector and moved to head up the RUC's C or "Charlie" Division based in Tennent Street, off the Shankill Road, the heartland of loyalism and home of many loyalist paramilitaries. C Division covered not only the Shankill but also the republican Ardoyne and "The Bone" areas. The area had already been subjected to bombing attacks, rioting, home-burnings, vigilante patrols, street barricades, random sectarian murders and killings as part of sporadic loyalist feuds. Nesbitt's responsibilities were immense as C Division covered an entire fifteen square mile district which contained a population of 150,000 and more sectarian killer gangs than any other district in Northern Ireland. Furthermore, the majority of the violence committed within an area of just three square miles contained every paramilitary group – loyalist and republican – which existed in Northern Ireland at that time. The UVF Brigade Staff (Belfast leadership) was based on the Shankill Road.
Shortly before he was sent to C Division his policing abilities were highly praised in this assessment,
He stimulates interest among his colleagues, often drawing on his personal experiences marrying theory with practice. He is thoroughly sound and reliable and upholds the best traditions of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. He brings great credit to the Force.