THE murder of west Belfast man Patrick McVeigh in May 1972 moved closer to a resolution today as a former member of the British armed services was charged with the crime. Today’s ruling marks the first time in more than 50 years that someone has been found liable for the killing.
Belfast Magistrate’s Court heard how McVeigh, 44, was shot from a passing car in the Finaghy Road North area of the city. Four other people were injured during the incident.
The soldier has not been named and was referred to in court documents only as Soldier F. It is understood that the soldier in question was an active member of an undercover – or “Black ops” – British Army unit known as the Military Reaction Force, or MRF.
The man faced an additional four counts of attempted murder for the those injured along with Mr. McVeigh on the night in question. Despite the fact that the same moniker was used to protect the perpetrator’s anonymity, the court was keen to stress that ‘Soldier F’ does not refer to the same soldier who is currently awaiting charges linked to Bloody Sunday.
Along with Soldier F, the case of three other former soldiers was also dealt with in court. These men are charged with the attempted murder of two other victims who were gunned down in a different incident earlier that same evening. Those soldiers were referred to only as Soldiers B, C and D.
The case was adjourned until 30th April this year to allow the soldiers’ respective legal teams to read the case papers. None of the men appeared in court today.
The Magistrate’s Court was also told that consideration should be given for one of the soldiers to have his case thrown out due to the man’s age, health complications and the passage of time.
The MRF was one of several so-called ‘black ops’ units of the British Army who were formulated against the backdrop of the Troubles conflict and deployed within different parts of Northern Ireland during the early 1970s.
They became feared for their ruthless tactics, touring predominantly Catholic nationalist areas in urban areas around the province wearing plain clothes and driving unmarked cars. They used non-regulation weapons to engage people they considered republicans. They have been linked by police to 18 different incidents of firing on unarmed civilians.
