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HET: Michael McLarnon, ucciso ad Ardoyne da esercito inglese, era innocente

Victim of soldier shooting was innocent

The family of a north Belfast man, who was killed by soldiers in 1971 for suspected IRA involvement, has welcomed a Historical Enquiries Team report which proves him innocent.

Historical Enquiries Team, HETMichael McLarnon died in hospital after being shot at Etna Drive in Ardoyne.

Four years after the incident, Lieutenant Clifford Burrage claimed responsibility, saying he had acted because Mr McLarnon was carrying a gun and was amongst an armed gang.

An investigation by the HET has now revealed that Mr McLarnon was an innocent victim, while Mr Burrage was not the soldier involved in the attack.

Instead, the report claims, the victim was “most likely” killed by a member of another British Army patrol.

A spokesperson at the Pat Finucane Centre, where the findings were published on Wednesday morning, called the case “remarkable”.

“Since Michael’s killing family and family representatives have protested his innocence and they are pleased that his innocence has officially and categorically been recognised,” caseworker Maggie O’Conor said.

“This is a remarkable report in that the HET has investigated the facts and have concluded that the facts belie the information in the public domain and that the investigation was irrevocably flawed.

“The key findings by the HET are that the soldier who claimed to have shot Michael did not in fact shoot him and secondly that Michael was most likely shot by members of another British army patrol that also shot John Copeland.”

The initial report into the shooting was carried out by the Royal Military Police at the time.

According to the Pat Finucane Centre, it did not question Mr Burrage’s story even though two eye witness accounts put it in doubt.

Ms O’Conor called the RMP investigation “deeply flawed”, adding “the HET investigation and review has clearly found that the stories Burrage has told over the years do not fit the facts”.

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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