Ex-soldier tells Ballymurphy inquest: I’m an old soldier, I don’t even have a mobile phone

A company of the Parachute Regiment has been accused of putting up a “virtual wall of silence” for an inquest into the shooting of 10 people in Belfast.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Sep 2019, 19:20 BST
Families stand with photos of 10 people killed in disputed shootings in the Ballymurphy area of west Belfast in August 1971Families stand with photos of 10 people killed in disputed shootings in the Ballymurphy area of west Belfast in August 1971
Families stand with photos of 10 people killed in disputed shootings in the Ballymurphy area of west Belfast in August 1971

Fresh inquests into the killings in the Ballymurphy area between August 9-11, 1971 have been ongoing for more than 10 months.

A priest was among those killed, which came amid disturbances across Northern Ireland following the introduction of internment.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A number of former soldiers from different companies of the Parachute Regiment, who were based in the area at the time, have appeared at proceedings at Belfast Coroner’s Court.

A lawyer representing the families of two of those killed claimed the inquest has had little co-operation from the ex-soldiers of Support Company.

Two former soldiers from Support Company, both of whom were permitted to give evidence anonymously and screened from the public, appeared at the inquest on Wednesday.

Karen Quinlivan QC put it to witness M222 that he was “one of very few soldiers from support company” who has attended the inquests.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She also put it to him that former soldiers had been advised not to co-operate with the inquests over social media.

He responded: “I am an old soldier, I don’t even have a mobile phone.”

Ms Quinlivan also put the same points to witness M88, who told the court he remembered little about his service in Northern Ireland, describing it as a “blur of bombings and shootings carried out by paramilitaries”.

“It is hard to sort memories from dreams,” he said, adding that he was “shocked and surprised” to read in a statement he had made to the Royal Military Police in 1971 that he had made an arrest on August 9.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Quinlivan put it to M88 that members of support company had fired 60 rounds in the area of waste ground where Father Hugh Mullan and Frank Quinn were shot dead.

She asked whether there had been any conversation between soldiers about what happened, and put it to him there has been a “virtual wall of silence from support company”.

M88 responded: “I don’t know ma’am, but I am not because I can’t remember anything”.

Further evidence is to be heard at the end of September