Soldiers celebrated after farmer shot dead in a field, inquest told

Co Tyrone man died instantly from gunshot wound Brother says that 1974 shooting destroyed his family

THE opening day of an inquest into the 1974 shooting of a young Co Tyrone farmer by a soldier has been told how members of the patrol cheered and celebrated as he lay dead in a field on the family farm.

Patrick Mcelhone (24), known by his family as Paddy, was unarmed and died instantly from a single gunshot wound to the back on August 7 at the family farm in Limehill, Pomeroy.

Giving evidence as the first of a series of fresh inquests into Troubles-era killings opened at Omagh Courthouse, Paddy’s brother Michael Mcelhone (75) told the courtroom how only the arrival of police around an hour after the fatal shooting had calmed the soldiers, from the Royal Regiment of Wales.

Lance Corporal Roy Alun Jones, who died in 2002, was cleared of murder in a three day trial at Belfast High Court in 1975.

The court was told how an Army patrol has approached Paddy Mcelhone earlier in the day as he was cutting hay on the family farm.

They had also requested permission from his mother Margaret to search outbuildings, which had been granted without issue.

“My mother told them to feel free. I’ll tell anyone there was nothing hid,” said Michael Mcelhone.

Mr Mcelhone explained how he had returned home from work around 6pm to find soldiers again at he family farm, and his brother lying dead in a field.

He said soldiers had been “abusive looking” as he arrived home.

“They were running about he meadow, shaking guns. They seemed to be rejoicing, cheering,” he said.

“Only when the police came, about an hour later, were they brought to order.”

The circumstances of Paddy Mcelhone’s death were called into question, with Mr Mcelhone saying that in an initial statement on the night of the shooting Lance Corporal Jones had claimed “sorry, it was an accident”.

By the next morning, said Mr Mcelhone, this had changed to “he was running away”.

It was also claimed that at the time another soldier, named in court as Private Bedford, had challenged Corporal Jones.

Private Bedford had previously told the Historical Enquiries Team that Jones said to him: “Keep your mouth shut, I’ve heard what you said in your statement and I’ll be in the s***,” to which he replied, “You’re already in the s*** and I’m telling the truth.”

Michael Mcelhone said his family had not been called to give evidence at the trial of Corporal Jones in March 1975.

“It was a mock trial,” he told the inquest. “There was very little respect shown to my family.”

He also detailed how the death of Paddy had destroyed his family.

His father, Peter, had died in 1976 and mother Margaret passed away in 1978.

Mr Mcelhone also said he had no knowledge of his own name nor the name of his brother Paddy being on an Army list of people who may have knowledge of wanted men on the fringes of the IRA.

The hearing, the first of dozens of fresh inquests due to be held into killings carried out during the Troubles as part of a plan by Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, is expected to last a week.

‘They were running about he meadow, shaking guns. They seemed to be rejoicing, cheering’