A woman whose father was valued at less than a dog after he was shot dead in Ballymurphy was today at the centre of a massive compensation payout.
Janet Donnelly, whose dad Joseph Murphy was one of ten people killed over two days by the British Army in 1971, was at the High Court in Belfast on Monday morning to hear a judge award “significant” compensation to the Ballymurphy massacre families.
One of the conditions of the settlement is that the amount paid must remain confidential, however it is understood that including legal costs the the MOD are facing a bill in the millions of pounds.
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Janet joined relatives of those killed as Mr Justice Humphreys told them that after over 50 years of campaigning “I am acutely aware of the significance of today as part of the process that all of you have had to go through”.
Civil cases were brought against the Ministry of Defence by the families of nine people killed at Ballymurphy in West Belfast in 1971.
A statement from the families said they had secured “significant payment in damages” to the families of Fr Hugh Mullan, Frank Quinn, Joan Connolly, Noel Phillips, Joseph Murphy, Daniel Teggart, Edward Doherty, Joseph Corr and John Laverty.
Last year, a fresh inquest concluded that 10 people who died at Ballymurphy were innocent victims. The Army was found to be responsible for nine of the 10 deaths with not enough evidence to determine who fired the shot which killed the tenth victim.
Today, the families reflected on how they were treated by the courts in 1971 and 1972.
John Teggart, whose father Daniel was one of those killed said: “Today in court I thought back to my mother and how she was treated sitting in front of a judge where she was told she would be financially better off as she had one less mouth to feed. The courts have changed and changed for the better and allowed us, ordinary working class people, to take on the might of the British establishment and win.”
However, Mr Teggart added that despite the compensation the MoD has yet to “say sorry” for the deaths.
Janet Donnelly added that her “only regret” was that her mother was not alive to see both the families’ names cleared and today’s compensation awarded as she passed away in 2016.
She said: “But she didn’t need to be told that my father was innocent as she always knew that. After he was killed my mummy went to court where she was offered a measly £350. The case just before hers was one of the death of a prize greyhound that had been knocked down.
“That dog was considered to be worth £700, but my mummy was offered £350 for the death of my daddy. In what sort of place does a dog’s life be considered more valuable than my father’s life?”
Solicitor Pádraig Ó Muirigh said while the damages will not “bring back their loved ones or reverse the traumatic impact these events have had on these families” it is hoped it “can bring some small degree of comfort to the Ballymurphy families”.
But he also raised the ongoing issue of the Government’s controversial Legacy plans which will curtail access to such cases as was concluded today.
He added: “It is crucial that cases of this nature be allowed to progress through Inquest and Civil proceedings. Rather than peddling ‘false hope’ as British Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis, claimed last week, these robust legal proceedings have provided much information about what has happened to their loved ones, unlike the flawed RUC and Royal Military Police (RMP) investigation in 1971 and the later HET Desktop Review.”
Gavin Booth, from Phoenix Law, added that today’s decision does not address the criminal issues raised by the deaths.
He added: “Today does not deal with the fact that the British Army opened fire on innocent civilians. The PPS needs to make a decision to prosecute those who murdered innocent people on the streets of Belfast.”
In court Mr Justice Humphreys was told that the cases had been settled by consent.
He said: “Can I congratulate the legal representatives for all their efforts. Lots of people are involved in reaching a conclusion such as this.
“Also to the people for whom these cases have meant a huge amount.
“I have become aware of the significance of these cases in the lives of many people, some of whom are in court.
“This represents the end of a very long process which has seen the inquests go through many months of hearings and ultimately reach the conclusions you are all familiar with.
“Those conclusions have meant that these proceedings have been easier to bring to resolutions.
“As well over 50 years have elapsed since these events occurred I am acutely aware of the significance of today as part of the process that all of you have had to go through.”
A statement from the families said: “The conclusion of this case comes just over a year since the coroner Justice Siobhan Keegan found our loved ones entirely innocent.
“The coroner found the British army responsible for deaths of our loved ones, however as we speak the Ministry of Defence haven’t come forward with an apology.
“We have proven that current legal routes open to all victims of our troubled past do work despite the claims of Brandon Lewis and Boris Johnston to the contrary.
“All victims deserve justice and full access to the courts.”
A compensation claim from the family of the 10th person who died at Ballymurphy and a number of people who were injured are still progressing through the courts.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued an apology to the families in the House of Commons for the series of shootings over three days which came in the wake of the introduction of internment in Northern Ireland.
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