Ballymurphy inquest: Soldiers fail to give evidence
- Published
The inquest is examining the deaths of 10 people in Ballymurphy in 1971
Two former soldiers subpoenaed to appear before an inquest into 10 deaths in Belfast in August 1971 have failed to give evidence for a second time.
Counsel for the Coroner, Sean Doran QC explained that neither M57 nor M171 was in court. Both had previously failed to appear to testify in May.
The coroner, Mrs Justice Keegan, explained that she doesn't not have the power to compel them to appear.
This is because the two men are in the UK, but outside Northern Ireland.
The court will now look at any other options it might have to encourage the two men to testify.
Meanwhile, soldier M206 did appear in the witness box, and told of being so tired when on duty in 1971 that he began to hallucinate.
M206 was a member of Support Company 2 Para and thought he had witnessed gunfire whilst deployed in flats in Springmartin.
He said that at one point during those days of duty he was so tired that he fell asleep in an alleyway and hallucinated due to lack of sleep.
- Published11 May 2021
