Facing charges at the age of 77
A DYING Army veteran is set to stand trial over the fatal shooting of an IRA suspect 44 years ago.
Dennis Hutchings, 77, will face charges over the death of John-Pat Cunningham, 7, in County Armagh in 1974.
Despite there being no fresh evidence, no witnesses and no forensic evidence, the greatgrandfather is accused of attempted murder.
If found guilty, he could be sentenced to a maximum 16 years in prison.
The retired warrant officer is seriously ill with kidney failure and doctors have given him two years to live. Mr Hutchings was part of a military unit which came across Mr Cunningham near the village of Benburb.
As the suspect ran away across a field, Mr Hutchings was one of two soldiers – the other now dead – who opened fire, killing him. It later emerged Mr Cunningham was innocent and had a mental age of between six and ten.
Mr Hutchings was investigated and cleared at the time and the case was closed once again after a review in 011.
But a legacy unit set up by the Police Service of Northern Ireland arrested him at his home in Cornwall in April 015.
It has not been established who fired the fatal shot and Mr Hutchings, who served 6 years in the Life Guards, says the victim was acting suspiciously and ignored an order to stop.
His trial is expected to take place in Northern Ireland later this year.