Regiment cheered when told man shot by troops had died, inquest is told
AN Army deserter has told an inquest into the controversial shooting of a man in north Belfast almost 46 years ago that his “dishonourable regiment” cheered when they heard the victim had died.
Colin Demet was giving evidence on the third day of the inquest into the killing of Joseph Parker at a disco at Toby’s Hall in Ardoyne in December 1971.
The 25-year-old victim died a day after receiving gunshot wounds to his legs when members of a Queen’s Lancashire Regiment patrol entered Toby’s Hall during a dance saying they were searching for IRA suspects.
“I was serving with a dishonourable regiment and I am still ashamed of them. I didn’t join the Army to kill civilians,” said Mr Demet.
Mr Demet said that on the night of the killing, he and around 20 other soldiers under the command of a Captain Barton set off on a patrol to capture gunmen.
The witness said that at around 10.30pm the patrol approached the hall where the dance was and to his surprise, the commanding officer announced his intention to enter the premises.
“We looked at each other in amazement. Some of the other soldiers said, ‘Where the hell is he going?’ and ‘What the f *** is he doing?’ Then there was a sud- den silence from inside the hall and then I heard one shot,” said Mr Demet.
The former soldier said he took cover behind a car and then saw two or possibly three other soldiers rapidly firing their weapons from hip height into Toby’s Hall.
He said the firing continued until a sergeant in the patrol screamed at the soldiers to stop.
Mr Demet added that when news later emerged that someone had died there was cheering from the soldiers.
But Peter Coll QC, counsel for the Ministry of Defence (MoD), dismissed aspects of his testimony.
Using photographic evidence of Toby’s Hall, Mr Coll seriously questioned the accuracy of Mr Demet’s position at the time of the shooting and whether he could actually see Captain Bar- ton or other members of the patrol enter the premises.
The MoD lawyer said: “Mr Demet, the truth is you don’t know where you were. It was 46 years ago and you did not give an account at the time.
“I suggest that you are wrong and that all these years later your recollection isn’t terribly reliable. From your evidence you could not have been where you say you were when Captain Barton entered the hall.
“All the other evidence suggests that Captain Barton entered through the front door on Butler Street.
“You say he went down Brookfield Street on which there was only a fire exit door.
“You haven’t the faintest idea where you were positioned.
“You’ve told us you couldn’t see the door. If you couldn’t see the door, you couldn’t have been positioned opposite the hall.”
Mr Demet replied: “I said I was on Brookfield Street, but I was facing the club, but I don’t know on which side.”
Mr Coll said: “Did you see him (Captain Barton) enter the hall or not?” Colin Demet said: “No.”
The inquest continues.