Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘I took rifle off Hutchings after fatal shooting’
Attempted murder trial hears from officer
A ROYAL Military Police officer who attended the scene of a Troubles shooting has recalled taking a rifle from Dennis Hutchings but cannot confirm the weapon was his, a judge has heard.
Alan Mews gave evidence during the trial of the ex-soldier who is accused of the attempted murder of John Pat Cunningham in 1974.
The 80-year-old former member of the Life Guards regiment also denies a count of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.
Mr Cunningham, 27, was shot dead as he ran away from an Army patrol across a field near Benburb in Co Tyrone.
People who knew him said he had the mental age of a child and was known to have a deep fear of soldiers.
Mr Mews attended the scene off the Carrickaness Road following the shooting on June 15, 1974.
Giving evidence to Belfast Crown Court via video link, he said the only soldier he remembers speaking to specifically was Hutchings. He added he took an SLR rifle from him that had 17 of its capacity 20 bullets still in the magazine.
Judge Mr Justice O’hara asked the witness whether the fact Hutchings handed him the weapon necessarily meant it was his.
He replied: “No, your honour. He gave me the weapon. I took the serial number from that weapon.
“Thereafter it would have been the
He gave me the weapon. I took serial number ALAN MEWS BELFAST CROWN COURT YESTERDAY
SIB [RMP’S special investigation branch] inquiry that would have looked at whether that weapon with that serial number would have been signed out by Mr Hutchings or another member of his patrol.”
Mr Mews said it was normal practice for individual weapons to be assigned to individual soldiers, but he told the court he was unable to confirm if that had definitely happened ahead of the incident in Benburb.
Hutchings, from Cawsand in Cornwall, sat in the dock and listened to proceedings through a headset.
The prosecution contend the accused fired three shots at Mr Cunningham as he ran across the field and another soldier, who is now deceased, fired two.
As no bullets were recovered from the scene, the Crown has said it is not possible to prove which soldier fired the fatal shot that hit Mr Cunningham in the back – and for that reason Hutchings is facing a charge of attempted murder.
Earlier, Mr Justice O’hara ruled two sheets of notes and markings which appear to show the location of bullet casings, the position which Mr Cunningham’s body lay in and features of the field accompanying maps of the scene, were admissible as evidence.
The Belfast Crown Court trial continues and is scheduled to sit again on Monday.
9I’m sure you’ve all seen the pictures of the Belfast seal pup with a Red Bull can stuck firmly in its mouth and gone “that’s awful”.
It is and it just goes to show how big a job we still have to do to keep litter from our streets, waterways and from harming nature.
A huge well done to Debbie Doolittle, Lagan Search and Rescue, and the Exploris staff who have tried to help the poor thing. It’s hard not to feel down when confronted with realities like that. Instead of letting it get to me, I always try and turn it into something positive like heading out on a litter pick near where I live while taking in the sea air.
You too could turn that feeling into a positive. We can’t control the litter louts dumping things at their backsides to end up God knows where, but if you are so inclined there’s a raft of litter picking groups across Northern Ireland who are taking pincers into their own hands and making a huge difference. Why not check if you have one nearby and join them.