A British army veteran will be charged with murdering a man and attempting to murder six others during the Northern Ireland conflict.
The Crown Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland announced on Thursday that Soldier F will be charged with the murder of Patrick McVeigh, 44, who was shot dead in south Belfast on May 13, 1972.
He would also be charged with the attempted murder of four others who were injured in the same incident, and the attempted murder of two others in a separate incident on May 12, 1972. Three other former soldiers, known as Soldiers B, C and D, will also be charged with: An attempted murder case related to that incident.
The soldiers belonged to a secret army unit known as the Military Reactionary Force (MRF), which operated in Northern Ireland at the height of the unrest. Some of the anonymized letter codes were passed on to other soldiers in unrelated incidents.
The timing of the decision means the case will continue despite a controversial law that suspends future Troubles-related prosecutions from May 1.
McVeigh was shot at the intersection of Finaghy Road North and Riverdale Park South. The previous day’s shooting occurred half a mile away on Sliebegarion Drive.
His daughter, Pat McVeigh, told the BBC Her father’s murder “completely devastated” the family. “We are just left at a loss and the fact that we have been trying for over 50 years to clear his name and see justice served. This case should have been brought to court in the 1970s. .”
Prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to charge another MRF unit member with the murder of Daniel Rooney, 18, on September 26, 1972, and the wounding of another man.
“Today is a difficult day for the victim and everyone involved and it has been a long time coming to reach this stage of the process,” PPS Assistant Director Martin Hardy said.
“We would like to emphasize that if a decision to prosecute is taken, criminal proceedings must be properly initiated and there must be no reports, commentary or sharing of information that could in any way influence these proceedings. We will continue to communicate with the victims and families involved as these cases develop.”
Mr Hardy said victims and their families who were informed of the decision not to prosecute were given a detailed written explanation and an offer to meet with the prosecution team.
Northern Ireland Police referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service in 2013 following revelations in the Panorama documentary.
Det Ch Supt Claire McGuigan, head of the PSNI’s heritage investigation unit, said it had been a difficult and emotional time for all the families involved. She said: “We are reflecting on a long journey for our family.”
