Birmingham bomb victim’s mother in direct plea to wife of Boris Johnson over ‘amnesty’

A heartbroken 87-year-old has made an emotionally-charged plea to the wife of the Boris Johnson – from one mother to another – that she encourage the Prime Minister to abandon his Troubles ‘amnesty’ proposals.
By Mark Rainey
Published 18th Nov 2021, 06:10 BST
Julie Hambleton with mum Margaret Smith. Right: Carrie JohnsonJulie Hambleton with mum Margaret Smith. Right: Carrie Johnson
Julie Hambleton with mum Margaret Smith. Right: Carrie Johnson

Margaret Smith’s life was shattered when her teenage daughter was murdered by the IRA in Birmingham in 1974.

Maxine Hambleton, 18, was one of 21 people killed when bombs were detonated at two pubs in the centre of the city.

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Mrs Smith said the “only solace” her family has had since the terrorist atrocity is that “one day her killers might be brought to justice”.

However, the government has now unveiled plans to axe all investigations into pre-1998 Troubles-related crimes.

In her letter to Carrie Johnson, Mrs Smith says: “By proposing the Northern Ireland Legacy Bill, your husband believes that the killers should be allowed to live out the rest of their lives free from the possibility of prosecution or ever being brought to justice for their crimes.

“Nobody could ever understand the hollowness I feel in my soul for my loss. I miss Maxine every single day. She was my daughter and was ripped from our family just as she was reaching womanhood. All of my family mourn her loss, and the only solace we have ever taken from her death, has been the hope that one day, her killers might be brought to justice. If your husband’s proposed bill is successful, any hope of a criminal conviction for murder will be lost forever.”

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Mrs Smith added: “I plead with you as a mother, to try and understand my grief and the horror of having to identify your child’s body. I ask you to impress upon your husband the impact that this bill will have on myself, and thousands of other mothers, as we see our hopes of successful criminal convictions dashed by legislation that will release murderers from any responsibility for their vile crimes.

“I am asking you as a mother to try and understand how you would feel if you had lost a child in this way. At the time, I too wanted to die, but I had other children that needed me.”

Mrs Smith said her “heart is broken” and added: “At 87-years-old I understand that I may never see justice for my daughter, but that doesn’t mean that I am happy to stand idly by whilst the pain of the denial of justice is inflicted upon Maxine’s siblings and thousands of other families.

“If the Northern Ireland Legacy Bill passes into law, Maxine’s life will have counted for nothing, and her death for even less.”

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