Schoolboy ‘most likely’ shot useless by soldier on hospital grounds in 1975, coroner says

An unidentified British Military soldier was “extra probably than not” accountable for the deadly capturing of a schoolboy in a Belfast hospital grounds virtually 50 years in the past, a coroner has discovered.

Patrick Crawford, 15, was shot useless whereas strolling within the grounds of the Royal Victoria Hospital at round 9.40pm on August 10, 1975.

In 2015, the previous Lawyer Common of Northern Eire, John Larkin, granted a brand new inquest into Patrick’s dying after representations from his household concerning the Troubles homicide.

Delivering his findings on Monday at Laganside Courthouse in Belfast, Decide Philip Gilpin stated {the teenager} died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

He advised the courtroom: “The cumulative impact of the details which I’ve discovered and the varied items of proof introduced collectively persuade me, on the steadiness of chances, with a ample diploma of power, that it’s extra possible than not that Patrick was shot useless by an unidentified British Military soldier in circumstances the place he couldn’t fairly have believed there was a risk of power.

He dismissed theories that {the teenager} was killed as a part of an IRA feud, saying he “was an harmless 15-year-old boy who was not concerned in any suspicious exercise on the time he was shot.”

The coroner additionally stated he would settle for written submissions on whether or not he ought to elevate anonymity orders granted in opposition to two troopers who died through the inquest.

The courtroom was advised that on the day Patrick was shot useless there had been “appreciable civil unrest” in west Belfast and a rally had taken place to mark the fourth anniversary of the introduction of the internment in Northern Eire.

Mr Gilpin stated there had been sporadic outbreaks of violence “together with gunfire in opposition to members of the military, notably in and across the RVH (Royal Victoria Hospital) space.” .

Patrick, who was strolling house, had met two girls, Annie Miskimmin and Catherine Faloon, and requested them to accompany him to the hospital grounds as a result of he was “nervous in regards to the RVH military.”

The coroner stated he concluded there have been two doable places the place the shot that killed Patrick was fired: the Gynae constructing and the Quinn home.

He dominated that the bullet that killed the teenager “was extra probably than not a high-velocity bullet.”

Mr Gilpin stated there had been a “important and protracted navy presence inside the RVH”.

He added: “I take into account that for all intents and functions the navy have been answerable for this space, in important numbers, have been armed and have been actively looking for a shooter, no less than earlier than Patrick arrived on this space. .”

The coroner stated it had not been doable to establish the one that shot Patrick, however there have been two potentialities: a soldier or a member of a paramilitary group.

He stated: “I take into account that the truth was that solely navy personnel might have ample freedom to entry the roof of the one-and-a-half storey Gynae Constructing or Quinn Home. »

The coroner dismissed “rumors” that Patrick was concerned with the Official IRA or was shot useless as a part of an IRA feud.

He stated: “Upon consideration of all of the proof, I used to be glad that this view remained unchanged and undisputed, specifically that Patrick was an harmless 15-year-old boy who was not concerned in any exercise suspect on the time he was shot. »

He additionally stated there was “no proof of the presence of an armed paramilitary within the RVH compound on the time Patrick was shot.”

He described the RUC investigation into the 1975 dying as “superficial”.

The coroner stated: “There was no on-site search as such, no try to protect clothes for evaluation, no correct try to seek for the bullet that killed Patrick and no correct engagement with witnesses.

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“The dearth of an investigation, for my part, solely helps the concept that what occurred to Patrick was recognized on the time and that there was due to this fact no need to discover these occasions. given the involvement of the military. »

Mr Gilpin stated that, given his findings, he would settle for submissions on whether or not the anonymity orders relating to 2 useless troopers given the numbers PC02 and PC03 can be eliminated.

He stated he would rule on the matter within the new 12 months earlier than closing the inheritance inquiry.