Skip to content

Families accuse government of 'silence' over Springhill shootings

PA Media Natasha Butler holds a sign of her grandfather Paddy Butler, outside Belfast Coroner's Court. She is wearing a red blazer over a black top. Her long black hair is worn down away from her face and she has black-rimmed rectangular glasses on. PA Media
An inquest heard that Natasha Butler's grandfather, Patrick Butler, posed "no threat to anyone" at the time of his death

The families of five people shot dead in Belfast in 1972 have accused the UK government of "deliberate silence" and called for an apology after an inquest found the Army "overreacted to a perceived threat".

Last month, a coroner concluded the Army "lost control" in a number of cases.

Fr Noel Fitzpatrick, 42, father-of-six Patrick Butler, 37, 16-year-old John Dougal, 15-year-old David McCafferty and 13-year-old Margaret Gargan were killed on the Springhill estate on 9 July 1972.

A spokesperson for the families said: "In Ballymurphy and Bloody Sunday, when the truth was established, the government responded with public apologies. The same standard must apply here."

PA Media A crowd of people holding placards of their loved ones above their heads, are seen cheering and hugging.PA Media
The families of those killed after the findings of the inquest were delivered on 30 April

"Anything less is unequal treatment and a denial of justice.

"The truth has finally been established in a court of law. Our loved ones were innocent. They were unarmed. They should never have been killed. Yet almost three weeks on, the British government has chosen to say nothing.

"That silence is not oversight - it is a continuation of the injustice our families have faced for over fifty years."

What did the Springhill inquest find?

The inquest received its final submissions in April 2024, just hours before the deadline imposed by the 2023 Legacy Act to end conflict-related inquests.

On April 30, the coroner Mr Justice Scoffield found the force used in all five shootings was "not reasonable".

He also concluded that evidence suggested that "some sporadic rounds were fired" earlier in the evening and rejected the "civilian case that not one round had been fired on the 9th of July".

The court heard four of the five people killed were shot by the same soldier, and two were killed by the same bullet.

Pacemaker Four people holding a brown banner with 'Time for Truth' written on it in white writing.Pacemaker
Families of the dead held up a banner on their way into the court in April

Margaret Gargan was shot "directly in the face" by a different soldier on the same day.

The coroner said the "force used was not reasonable" and that it was "not in compliance with the yellow card" in the Army's rules of engagement.

No warning was given before the shootings.

The coroner said Fr Fitzpatrick, Patrick Butler, and Margaret Gargan were "wholly innocent victims" and David McCafferty was "regarded as an innocent victim".

He said while John Dougal's conduct prior to his death "remains unclear and suspicious", he "should not have been shot, having been shot in the back while retreating".

In a statement following the verdict, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said they acknowledged the coroner's findings and were "considering them carefully".

"We remain firmly committed to supporting our veterans and to the delivery of truth, recovery, reconciliation, and closure."

As the coroner was delivering his findings on 30 April, secretary of state for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn expressed his "profound condolences to the families".

"We will all need to read the full coroner's report, which I haven't yet and have not had an opportunity to do so," he added.