A report into the 1971 shooting of a Derry man by a British soldier in the city has found that the man was an innocent victim.
It had been claimed that at the time William McGreanery was shot dead, that he was aiming a rifle at the soldier.
However the investigation by the PSNI's Historical Enquiries Team has concluded that the 41-year-old shopkeeper ‘was not carrying a firearm of any description, and he posed no threat to the soldiers at the observation post.’
The report also uncovered that the head of The Royal Ulster Constabulary in Derry in 1971 had recommended that the soldier responsible be charged with murder.
However on foot of advice from then Northern Ireland Attorney General, the Chief Crown Solicitor said that because the soldier was acting in the course of his duty he could not be tried for murder.
The Pat Finucane Centre, in response to the findings, claims that this case set a dangerous precedent ‘in giving British soldiers free rein to kill civilians with impunity’.
It points out that this decision was taken only weeks before Bloody Sunday when 14 civil rights demonstrators were killed by British soldiers during a protest march.
The family of William McGreanery have welcomed the findings of the report, which is to be given to Taoiseach Brian Cowen by SDLP MP Mark Durkan.
