Family of man shot by soldier awarded 'significant' sum

The household of a antheral who died aft being changeable by a British worker much than 50 years agone successful Londonderry person been awarded a "significant fiscal settlement".

William McGreanery, 41, died connected 15 September 1971, a week aft a worker opened occurrence from an Army reflection station overlooking the Bogside.

The household cannot disclose the magnitude they received owed to a confidentiality clause.

Mr McGreanery’s nephew Billy said the colony reflects the “death, pain, anguish and sorrow” household the Ministry of Defence inflicted connected the family.

Mr McGreanery, a store assistant, was changeable aft a subordinate of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards – known arsenic Soldier A - opened occurrence from an Army sanger overlooking the junctions of Eastway, Lone Moor Road and Westland Street.

In June 2011, the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) recovered helium "was not carrying a firearm and helium posed nary menace to the soldiers".

Later that aforesaid twelvemonth the Chief of the General Staff of the British Army sent an official apology to the McGreanery family and successful 2013 an apology was besides made by the equipped forces minister, Andrew Robathan, in the House of Commons.

Earlier this year, Northern Ireland's Attorney General ordered a caller inquest into the decease of William McGreanery.

That absorption came a time aft the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said determination was insufficient grounds to prosecute the soldiers suspected of shooting him dead.

The McGreanery household person asked for that determination to beryllium reviewed.

In a statement, Mr McGreanery’s nephew Billy who was 13 erstwhile his uncle was killed, said the household would proceed to prosecute justice.

“I liken this process to a three-course repast that we fought precise hard for and earned,” helium said.

“The starter was the apologies for the wrongful sidesplitting of Billy, and contiguous is the dessert, fiscal retribution.

“But they skipped the main people – justice… the PPS reappraisal puts the justness we crave firmly connected the plate, and lone a prosecution volition fulfill our request for the justness we rightly deserve.”

The McGreanery household solicitor Gary Duffy said the colony announced connected Thursday was “long overdue” but besides a “welcome endorsement of the family’s run to uncover the truth”.

He said Mr McGreanery’s sidesplitting had been “unjustified and unjustifiable” adding that the lawsuit “highlights the worth and merit of specified bequest civilian actions successful information betterment and obtaining justice”.

Mr Duffy added: “ Furthermore, it exemplifies the request to determination beyond the Legacy Act and its barroom to prosecutions and inquests.

“We look guardant to the reinstatement of the family’s inquest and for a determination connected the prosecution of the worker who changeable and killed Billy.”