10 shot by Army in NI were ‘innocent’
TEN people killed in disputed west Belfast shootings involving British soldiers were “entirely innocent”, a coroner ruled yesterday.
The Army has been found to be responsible for nine of the deaths in August 1971.
Father Hugh Mullan, 38, and Frank Quinn, 19, were shot in Ballymurphy at around 9pm on August 9.
Around the same time, outside an Army barracks, Noel Philips, 19, Joseph Murphy, 41, Joan Connolly, 44, and Daniel Teggart, 44, were fatally wounded.
The following day, Eddie Doherty, 31, died after being shot.
On the third day of shootings, Joseph Corr, 43, and John Laverty, 20, were killed.
Victim
Mrs Justice Keegan said there was not enough evidence for her to determine where the shot that killed the 10th victim, John McKerr, came from.
The coroner ruled out any paramilitary involvement by any of those killed in Ballymurphy and described them as “entirely innocent of any wrongdoing on the day in question”.
The deaths happened at the start of what became known as the Troubles and at the time of the introduction of internment without trial.
The son of one of the victims read out the names of the 10 dead at a press conference in Belfast, pausing to say the word “innocent” after every name.
John Teggart, whose father Daniel was shot by a soldier, said: “We the Ballymurphy families welcome today’s historic verdict.
“Mrs Justice Keegan declared that unjustified force was used in the killing of our loved ones. After 50 years they have finally had their names cleared.”