British soldiers prosecuted for Troubles deaths before amnesty
FOUR more British veterans will be prosecuted over the Troubles, fuelling accusations that prosecutors in Northern Ireland are “rushing” cases through before an amnesty deadline.
The decision beats a May 1 deadline in the new Legacy Act, which blocks all future prosecutions, civil cases and inquests into Troubles-era crimes.
Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said Soldier F will be prosecuted for the murder of Patrick Mcveigh, 44, and the attempted murder of four other victims wounded in the same incident. Mr Mcveigh was shot in Belfast on May 13 1972.
Three other former soldiers – known as Soldiers B, C and D – are also to be prosecuted for attempted murder of two victims in a shooting incident the day before. The cases were referred for investigation more than a decade ago.
The PPS denied the deadline had any bearing on the decision, but Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army, said he felt “very uncomfortable about a prosecution so long after the event” and that cases were being “rushed” through.
He questioned whether Sinn Fein were “flexing their muscles” after Michelle O’ Neill, its vice-president, became First Minister of Northern Ireland last Saturday, saying the party “have been trying to rewrite the narrative for years”.
“Why couldn’t the evidence have been presented 40 years ago?,” the former Chief of the General Staff said.
A source close to the case told The Telegraph: “It’s obvious that they are rushing through this to beat the 1st of May deadline. They are trying to clear the decks.”
They said it was “common knowledge” in Northern Ireland that there is also a push to conclude outstanding coroners’ inquests ahead of May 1.
The soldiers have been given letters to protect their identities. While they are the same as ones used in other historical prosecutions in Northern Ireland, they are not the same individuals.
The soldiers all belonged to a temporary Army unit, known as the Military Reaction Force (MRF), that was operating in Belfast in 1972.
The cases were referred for investigation more than a decade ago, after former MRF members told BBC’S Panorama programme they were tasked with “hunting down” IRA members and had killed unarmed citizens. Prosecutors said they would not be pressing charges in another two files owing to insufficient evidence.
A PPS spokesman said: “All decisions are taken without fear or favour and are completely free from any political consideration or influence.
“The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023 has no bearing on decision making processes regarding ‘legacy’ cases until the relevant provisions come into force in May.”
Under the Legacy Act, killers will be offered immunity for providing information to an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, which prepares a report for victims’ families.
Ireland has taken the UK to the European Court of Human Rights over the law, arguing it replaces the judicial process. It is also opposed by all of Northern Ireland’s major political parties, including Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party.
A Government spokesman said it would not be “appropriate” to comment on ongoing criminal proceedings but that the Ministry of Defence would provide legal and welfare support.