Damages of £925,000 agreed as 14 more Bloody Sunday claims settled

MORE than £900,000 in damages is to be paid out in 14 further compensation claims brought over the Bloody Sunday shootings.

Nine actions on behalf of people killed by British soldiers in Londonderry in January 1972 have been settled for £75,000 each, while another five of those wounded are all to receive £50,000.

The resolutions were confirmed at the High Court yesterday as part of a series of lawsuits against the Ministry of Defence.

Thirteen people were shot dead when members of the Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators. A 14th person injured during events on the day, which became known as Bloody Sunday, died later.

Claims were brought by victims and their families after a major tribunal established the innocence of all those shot.

The Saville Inquiry’s findings in 2010 prompted the then Prime Minister David Cameron to publicly apologise for the actions of the soldiers.

With liability accepted, the cases centred on the level of damages to be paid out.

Last month a judge awarded Michael Quinn £193,000 for injuries inflicted when he was shot in the face as a schoolboy on Bloody Sunday.

That led to settlements being announced in another two test cases.

The widow of Gerry McKinney, a father-of-eight, received £625,000 compensation for his death. And a payout of £75,000 was agreed for the family of single man Michael McDaid (20).

Lawyers returned to court yesterday to announce resolutions in similar actions featuring unmarried victims with no dependants at the time.

The 14 cases involved a combined total of £925,000 in damages, plus costs.

Claims settled for £75,000 each were brought on behalf of the following nine deceased: Hugh Gilmour (17), shot dead on Rossville Street; Gerald Donaghey (17), killed at Abbey Park; John Young (17), shot dead at a rubble barricade on Rossville Street; Jackie Duddy (17), shot in the car park of the Rossville Flats; Kevin McElhinney (17), shot from behind as he crawled towards the front door of Rossville Flats; Michael Kelly (17), fatally wounded near the Rossville Street barricade; Wil- liam McKinney (26), shot dead in Glenfada Park; William Nash (19), shot at the rubble barricade on Rossville Street, James Wray (22), shot in Glenfada Park.

Five other actions on behalf of some of those wounded on Bloody Sunday have also been settled for £50,000 each.

A judge was told further discussions are to take place in the remaining lawsuits.

Listing those cases for a review in December, Mr Justice McAlinden said: “I congratulate the parties’ representatives for the work they are doing in resolving these very sensitive and difficult matters.”