Family of man killed by soldier in Londonderry over 50 years ago receives “significant” financial settlement

A “significant financial settlement” has been granted to the relatives of an individual who passed away after being shot by a British soldier over five decades ago in Londonderry. William McGreanery, aged 41, succumbed to his injuries on 15 September 1971, following a soldier’s gunfire from an Army observation post situated above the Bogside. The specific sum received by the family remains undisclosed due to a confidentiality clause. Billy, Mr McGreanery’s nephew, stated that the settlement acknowledged the “death, pain, anguish and sorrow” caused to the family by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been contacted for a statement. Mr McGreanery, who worked as a shop assistant, was shot when a soldier identified as Soldier A, a member of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, discharged his weapon from an Army sanger positioned above the intersections of Eastway, Lone Moor Road, and Westland Street. The Historical Enquiries Team (HET) concluded in June 2011 that he “was not carrying a firearm and he posed no threat to the soldiers”. During interviews with the HET, Soldier A refuted claims that he had shot Mr McGreanery in retaliation for a prior soldier’s murder, maintaining instead that his action was an impulsive reaction to a perceived danger. He informed the HET that he acknowledged making an error that evening, but characterized it as an honest mistake. Subsequently that year, the chief of the general staff of the Army issued an official apology to the McGreanery family, and in 2013, Andrew Robathan, the armed forces minister, also delivered an apology in the House of Commons. Northern Ireland’s Attorney General mandated a new inquest into William McGreanery’s death earlier this year. This directive was issued one day after the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) declared insufficient evidence to pursue charges against the soldiers suspected of fatally shooting him. The PPS has verified that a senior public prosecutor is presently reviewing that decision, subsequent to a request from the McGreanery family. The PPS stated its intention to “engage directly” with the family upon the completion of this process. In a formal statement, Billy, Mr McGreanery’s nephew, who was 13 years old at the time of his uncle’s killing, affirmed the family’s ongoing commitment to seeking justice. He remarked, “I liken this process to a three-course meal that we fought very hard for and earned.” He continued, “The starter was the apologies for the wrongful killing of Billy, and today is the dessert, financial retribution.” He added, “But they skipped the main course – justice… the PPS review puts the justice we crave firmly on the plate, and only a prosecution will satisfy our need for the justice we rightly deserve.” Gary Duffy, the McGreanery family’s solicitor, described the settlement revealed on Thursday as “long overdue” yet also a “welcome endorsement of the family’s campaign to uncover the truth”. He asserted that Mr McGreanery’s death was “unjustified and unjustifiable,” further stating that the case “highlights the value and merit of such legacy civil actions in truth recovery and obtaining justice.” Mr Duffy further commented: “Furthermore, it exemplifies the need to move beyond the Legacy Act and its bar to prosecutions and inquests.” He concluded, “We look forward to the reinstatement of the family’s inquest and for a decision on the prosecution of the soldier who shot and killed Billy.” Colum Eastwood, the Social Democratic and Labour Party’s MP for Foyle, remarked that the McGreanery family had remained “steadfast in their campaign for truth, justice and accountability.” He stated, “Today’s settlement is undoubtedly good news for the family and vindicates their decades-long campaign.” He added, “Unfortunately, however, it does not deliver the justice they are entitled to and have fought so long to secure.” He commented that the case underscored “the scale of injustice that the Tory Legacy Act threatened to inflict on families across our society.” The Conservative government’s passage of its Legacy Act in September 2023 led to the cessation of all historical inquests stemming from the Troubles in Northern Ireland, despite objections from Labour, all Northern Ireland parties, various victims’ groups, and the Irish government. The Labour government has committed to revoking the majority of the contentious act’s provisions, though the legacy organization, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), will remain operational. This body assumed responsibility for all Troubles-era cases starting 1 May 2024, encompassing those previously handled by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The most contentious aspect of the act, which involved offering conditional immunity to suspects, was rescinded after legal challenges initiated by bereaved families. The court determined that this specific provision of the act conflicted with human rights’ legislation and the Windsor Framework.