WHAT A WAY TO TREAT A HERO
Outrage after 18 police officers raid home of 74-year-old Ulster veteran
A FRAIL Army veteran has told how 18 police officers were sent to arrest him for attempted murder in Northern Ireland. Dennis Hutchings was grilled for nearly
four days and now fellow veterans are living in fear of the witch-hunt over allegations of wrongdoing on active service.
Details were revealed by 77-yearold Dennis Hutchings who is facing trial for attempted murder over an incident in 1974.
John Pat Cunningham, 27, who had learning difficulties, was shot in the back as he ran away from an Army patrol near Benburb, County Tyrone, in 1974.
Two previous investigations cleared Mr Hutchings of any wrongdoing.
The frail veteran, who suffers from serious heart, kidney and prostate problems, told how his nightmare began early one morning in spring 2015 when he was cooking breakfast for his family in Cornwall.
There was a knock on the door and he found 18 policemen on his doorstep.
He was arrested, charged with murder and his house was searched in front of his bemused family before he was dragged off to Belfast.
Mr Hutchings, who at the time was 74 and already suffering from heart trouble, was kept in custody for about 80 hours and grilled 26 times.
Aggressive
Each interview, he said, was “aggressive” and lasted about 45 minutes with as little as five minute breaks in between.
In an interview for a documentary, The Great Betrayal, being produced by Justice for Northern Ireland Veterans, Mr Hutchings said: “The general approach was that they wanted me to lose my rag and admit I did it. They were just putting pressure on me all the time.”
Eventually, he was told the charge was being reduced to attempted murder and he was allowed to go home. But he has had to go back to court in Belfast eight times and still faces trial.
Mr Hutchings, a former Regimental Corporal Major, served for 26 years in the Life Guards.
He denies charges of attempted murder and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.
He said: “This has nothing to do with the law. It is purely political. It is our Government terrified of upsetting Sinn Fein.”
He contrasted his treatment with that given to IRA suspects handed Letters of Comfort by Tony Blair.
Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement 300 IRA terrorists were freed from prison early and about 150 suspects were given Letters of Comfort guaranteeing they would not be prosecuted. He said: “My letter was very similar to the letters given to the IRA by Tony Blair but mine does not count…because I am a soldier and I am English.”
He added: “The Government is a shambles. There should be a statute of limitations, no doubt about it.
“My witnesses of the incident are all dead. I have no witnesses. I cannot use my witnesses to defend me. This is the same in many, many cases. You cannot drag a case like this through the courts 40-odd years later. It is absolutely ridiculous. We went to Northern Ireland to help people and uphold the law. We did not go there to kill people. We went to stop them killing each other.”
Tory MP Sir Henry Bellingham said Mr Hutchings had been treated “abominably”.
He said: “He was told the case was closed and then he was subjected to a dawn raid. The MoD should be utterly ashamed that this has been allowed to happen in Britain.
Mr Hutchings is one of four soldiers charged so far over killings in Northern Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s as part of the “legacy” investigations relating to the Troubles. But another 278 cases involving Northern Ireland veterans are understood to be under investigation.
This is on top of the 3,500 allegations levelled at Iraq veterans which led to taxpayer costs of £60million without leading to a single prosecution. Every death from the Troubles involving a British soldier is being investigated.
But the authorities are not investigating every killing of British troops by terrorists. Last night Alan Barry of JNIV, who is crowdfunding to complete the documentary, said: “Harold Shipman was questioned 10 times. Dennis Hutchings was held in custody for nearly four days and grilled 26 times. It is an appalling way to treat an elderly man – especially when they had not produced a shred of new evidence. The system is balanced in only one way – in favour of the terrorists.”
Colonel Richard Kemp, who served several tours in Northern Ireland, said: “This is absolutely despicable. It is nothing less than a betrayal of our servicemen. Never in history has any Government turned on its own troops in this way.”
Earlier this month veterans, including Mr Hutchings, marched to Parliament to protest at their betrayal by ministers, some carrying copies of the Daily Express which is leading a crusade to protect troops from prosecution.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “It is right that we hold our Armed Forces to the highest standards and we have a legal obligation to investigate credible allegations of wrongdoing. The welfare of our personnel and veterans is of the utmost importance.”
To help fund The Great Betrayal, go to: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/alan-barry