Hyde Park families fight on for other terror victims seeking justice

John Downey is not the last Troubles-era terrorist who will face prosecution in a UK court, the brother of a Hyde Park bomb victim has claimed.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Dec 2019, 08:30 BST
July 1982 - carnage at Hyde Park in London with dead horses covered up and wrecked cars at the scene of an IRA blast that killed four soldiers. Photo. PA WireJuly 1982 - carnage at Hyde Park in London with dead horses covered up and wrecked cars at the scene of an IRA blast that killed four soldiers. Photo. PA Wire
July 1982 - carnage at Hyde Park in London with dead horses covered up and wrecked cars at the scene of an IRA blast that killed four soldiers. Photo. PA Wire

Downey was found to have been an “active participant” in the 1982 bomb attack that killed four Household Cavalrymen following a civil court case that concluded earlier this week.

Relatives of the deceased had launched legal action against the convicted IRA member after a criminal case collapsed at the Old Bailey in 2014.

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Mark Tipper, whose brother Trooper Simon Tipper was one of the slain soldiers, said the Hyde Park families would continue their fundraising efforts with the money going to help others pursue civil prosecutions.

He also said the court ruling against Downey had given other victims fresh hope of justice.

“I think people are more engaged now. If the victims out there who have lost loved ones, and their families and friends, all come together then we can raise the finances that we need to keep chasing after these terrorists,” Mr Tipper said.

“We want them to be put in front of a court and to answer for acts they have done in the past.

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“Because of the journey that we have had to take – and how long and arduous it has been, with folks keeping bolting the door on us – it shows that if you persevere, and if you know the right people, you can get somewhere.”

Mr Tipper praised the work of solicitors McCue & Partners in securing Downey’s conviction.

“There must have been times when they thought this case is much more involved than they ever anticipated, and questioned if we were ever going to get there,” he said.

Mr Tipper told the News Letter he will not pursue a compensation claim against Downey, but said he is seeking an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson to stress the need for government support.

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“There are so many victims out there being neglected, while the perpetrators get money thrown at them by the legal aid agency.

“Personally, I don’t want anything from this. I got what I wanted on Wednesday which was justice, but I’m now here to help other people if I can.

“And not just the IRA [victims] – it can be any terrorist organisation.”

An online fundraising page set up by Mr Tipper – No Safe Havens – lists a number of self-confessed former IRA members he would like to see put before a court.

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It states: “We are continuing our work in the hope that we can help other families like us bring more terrorists like John Downey to justice for the lives they have taken. There are many former IRA members who have confessed to being involved in terrorist activities and yet the British government has failed to take action. We won’t let this happen – we won’t let these men get away with murder.”

The fundraising website can be found here