Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

I apologise if I struck a nerve there Meg. So sorry to hear of your loss.

Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

I have Irish relatives in my family. They don't "hate the place" it's a green and pleasant land - they hated the oppression, and the British politicians and the soldiers of oppression - that's what they hated

Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

I can't believe this man is being dragged before the courts...his whole life will have been spent dreading this moment how terrible for him and his family. A ruined life for doing what he was trained to do....it's ok for those who were not their to pass judgements..

Who knows how any of us would react in those situations soldiers should only be dealt with in closed military courts IMO

Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

I think that's the point at issue.

He was not trained to do that at all.

Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

I have always felt Ireland should be one entity but the IRA and all the other violent organisations all went about it in the wrong way. Still today the terrible punishment shootings are going on and it's a farce they aren't stopped because people know who is doing it.

I can't imagine why anyone thinks this man deserves this now as everyone else has been set free in the name of the peace process. Why does it not extend to him too ?

Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

Sorry Julie darlin' - have to disagree. This man opened fire on innocent civilians and killed two people and injured four more. The Crown Prosecution Service seem to have enough evidence to prosecute him. The other soldiers with him, also opened fire, but apparently there is insufficient evidence to prosecute them.

Then there is the massacre at Ballymurphy - the guilty party there need to be prosecuted too.

Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

https://www.ft.com/content/68653dc0-...8-96a37d002cd3

I wasn't there so do not sit in any judgement - it in simple terms appear to be the Irish opposition representing the victims claiming there was deliberate firing to kill and the army claiming the soldiers were carrying out orders and following those orders. What is not clear are the details of who was where and doing what? Clearly the soldiers had no choice they HAD to be there under orders and walking away would have been treated as desertion or whatever.

The guilt will be in the detail if it can ever come out and I assume there is film footage of some sort?

Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

If 13 members of my community were shot dead and many more shot and injured by soldiers policing a civil rights march I would want justice and I would want answers.

The soldiers lost control but I don't blame the young men holding the weapons because they were ordered to be there and were given false imtelligence ; I blame their commanders and it is they who should be on trial.

However, it is massively important that the victims and their families gain the justice that has been too long coming.

I don't believe jailing the soldier , if convicted, will help justice, but a trial and potential ( probable) conviction will.

Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

We don't know exactly what training he had.

You don't come out of army training as a fully competent, accomplished soldier, that comes with experience and these are young men, not robots.

Truth is they were out of their depth and lost control.

Truth is their commanders/nco's were to blame.

It is they who should be in the dock.

Re: Pensioner Soldier charged with Murder in Ireland.

That, at least, is true.