Bally murphy eye witness is challenged over claim that soldier laughed after shot
THE credibility of an eyewitness to the Ballymurphy massacre has been challenged after he claimed a soldier laughed when he shot a man.
Last week, Joseph McAreavey told an inquest he caught father of four Edward Doherty (31) in his arms when he was shot by a soldier in west Belfast on August 10, 1971.
He stated he carried Mr Doherty over his shoulders to a nearby house where he died within minutes.
His evidence was contradicted in court yesterday, with a statement from Mr Doherty’s sister Kathleen McCarry who said her brother had actually been talking to another man when he was shot.
A barrister for the next of kin, Fiona Doherty, told Mr McAreavey his story had changed “significantly” since an original statement he gave to a solicitor in 1971.
The Ballymurphy massacre
saw 10 people killed over three days in August 1971.
Mr Doherty died after being shot in disputed circumstances near a barricade on the Whiterock Road.
A soldier, known as M3, claimed he shot Mr Doherty from the cab of an Army tractor as he attempted to throw a petrol bomb at him.
Mr Doherty’s family and other witnesses deny he had a petrol bomb and that he was running away when the gun fired.
During Mr McAreavey’s second day of evidence yesterday he added a new detail to his story, that the soldier laughed after firing from the cab of an army tractor stuck in the barricade and boasted: “I got one.”
Counsel for the coroner Sean Doran asked him: “Has this image just come into your mind?”
He replied: “I actually saw it, I’m adamant about it. He was gloating about it, it’s a sin he’ll have to carry for the rest of his life.”
Asked why he had never raised this in previous statements over the past 47 years, he said the memory had come back to him during questioning.
Ministry of Defence barrister Kevin Rooney also asked the witness if he was making parts of his evidence up.
“No I’m not,” he said.
“I’m telling you the God’s honest truth.”
The court was later read a statement taken this year from Mr Doherty’s sister Kathleen McCarry who was present in court.
She said that when her brother was beside the barricade, he had approached another man named Billy Whelan (now deceased).
Ms McCarry said she was told he asked Mr Whelan if he could still make his way to a nearby street.
“The next thing he was lying at his feet,” she said.
Her statement denied that her brother was throwing petrol bombs or had been involved in any paramilitary activity.
“First of all the Army portrayed him as a shooter, then a petrol bomber. He was neither,” the statement read.
Her statement said there was “no way” her brother could have been in the IRA as he was not politically minded and had served in the Territorial Army.
During his testimony, Mr McAreavey was also questioned about previous evidence to the inquest from eyewitness Martin McLaughlin who was nine years old at the time.
He had been watching events unfold from his bedroom window close to the barricade on Whiterock Road.
Mr McLaughlin said he saw two men talking beneath his window, one with his back to the barricade.
He said one looked over his shoulder and jerked, causing him to fall forward before a pool of
blood appeared.
Mr McLaughlin also claimed he saw crates of petrol bombs and a number were thrown before he heard gunfire.
“That is a lot of bunkum,” said Mr McAreavey.
“There was empty bottles in crates because (of milk and bread being brought to local families), there was no petrol bombs.”
He said those who claimed to see petrol bombs were “fantasising” and questioned if the evidence of a nine-year-old from nearly 50 years ago was reliable.
Last week, a former pathologist who carried out the autopsy on Mr Doherty said he was informed he was shot after throwing petrol bombs, but didn’t include it in his report as it was “hearsay”.
Professor Thomas Marshall added there was no smell of petrol on Mr Doherty’s clothes.
The inquest is due to continue today.
I actually saw it, I’m adamant about it. He was gloating, it’s a sin he’ll carry for the rest of his life
There was empty bottles in crates because of milk being brought, there was no petrol bombs