Appeal for witnesses to 1972 city shooting

By The Newsroom
Published 8th Sep 2022, 07:30 BST
Troops in NI in the early 1970sTroops in NI in the early 1970s
Troops in NI in the early 1970s
A coroner has made a public appeal for witnesses to a shooting incident involving the Army in Belfast 50 years ago, in which five civilians were killed, to come forward.

Judge Neil Rafferty said he planned to begin the inquest on February 20 next year into the deaths at Springhill, in Ballymurphy, on July 9, 1972.

The civilians were John Dougal, 16, Patrick Butler, 39, Father Noel Fitzpatrick, 40, David McCafferty, 15, and Margaret Gargan, 13.

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Former attorney general John Larkin directed new inquests into their deaths in 2014.

Opening the first preliminary hearing in the case, Judge Rafferty said: “It is my intention to commence the hearing of this inquest on February 20, or as soon thereafter as possible.

“That is the timescale we will be working towards.”

Judge Rafferty added: “If there are any witnesses who can give any evidence on the matters that we will be examining, I appeal to them to come forward now, to make themselves known to my staff and to give a witness statement.”

Counsel for the coroner, Ronan Daly QC said: “In relation to military, the legacy inquest unit has identified 46 potential military witnesses, 11 of whom are deceased, leaving in the region of 35 potential witnesses.

“Questionnaires were issued to the traced soldiers and responses are still coming in”.

The next preliminary hearing will take place on October 26.