Press Release…Press Release…Press Release…Press Release
Judgement expected in McBride Judicial Review
April 15 2002
Mother calls on SoS Reid to apologise for ‘shielding perpetrators of abuse
and ignoring victims’
Judgement is expected to be delivered on Wednesday 17 April 2002 in the
Judicial Review taken by the family of murdered Belfast teenager Peter Mc
Bride against the Ministry of Defence. Jean Mc Bride, mother of the victim,
had challenged the decision of a British Army Board to allow Scots Guards
Mark Wright and James Fisher to remain in the Armed Forces despite their
convictions for the 1992 murder of the North Belfast teenager.
An earlier court had overturned the original Army Board decision to retain
the two Guardsmen. Despite this a second Board again ruled that Wright and
Fisher could remain in the British Army.
Commenting today on the pending ruling Jean Mc Bride said, "It is almost ten
years since Peter was murdered and I am as determined as ever to fight for
justice for Peter and my family. A senior police officer in London suspected
of smoking cannabis was recently suspended yet these two men were allowed to
remain in the army while on trial and even following their convictions. They
have remained members of the British Army since September 4 1992 when Peter
was shot in the back. It is a scandal and a disgrace that I have had to
fight this case at all.
‘Many people in high places have prolonged this agony including John Reid
when he was Armed Forces Minister. John Reid intervened on behalf of two
convicted murderers, met their supporters, refused to meet me, expressed
‘concern’ that they were even in prison and justified the illegal use of MoD
property by the Guards Release Group. He reminds me of other men in
positions of authority who shielded perpetrators of abuse, ignored the
suffering of victims and protected the guilty in order to protect the
institution. When teachers, priests or coaches guilty of crimes are shielded
and moved about there is quite rightly an outcry. This is exactly what John
Reid, the MoD and the British Government have done to the men who murdered
my son. Will the Secretary of State now apologise? " Mrs Mc Bride has
revealed that she wrote in March to the Secretary of State requesting an
urgent meeting. The NIO has as yet failed to grant a meeting.
The two convicted murderers were moved to Germany and the German Foreign
Ministry has raised the issue with both the British and Irish authorities.
The German authorities are now awaiting the outcome of the judicial review
before deciding on what action to take.
Both men were reinstated despite the fact that they refuse to accept the
original verdict. Parole Boards routinely refuse release dates for
perpetrators who deny responsibility for their actions. The MoD has also
repeatedly attempted to undermine the trial judgement that murder was
committed.
Judgement is expected to be delivered by Justice Kerr at Belfast High Court
at 9.30am on Wednesday April 17. Below is a brief introduction to the case.
More details at
http://www.serve.com/pfc
Contact the Pat Finucane Centre at
028 71 268846 or (mobile) 07989 323 418
for further information
Brief introduction to the case of Peter Mc Bride September 1992-April 2002
September 4 1992. Peter Mc Bride, 18 year-old father of two young daughters,
is stopped and searched, then shot dead minutes later by members of a patrol
of Scots Guards in the New Lodge area of Belfast.
Two soldiers are taken to Girdwood Army Barracks, where the RUC are denied
access to the men for at least 10 hours. The next day Guardsmen Wright and
Fisher are charged with murder.
February 10 1995 The two are convicted of murder and sentenced to life
imprisonment.
March 1996 Leave to appeal to the House of Lords was denied.
Feb 10 1997 A high profile campaign to release the two begins, spearheaded
by the right wing press. The Daily Mail in particular publishes a series of
inaccurate, deliberately misleading and racist articles about the case.
May 13 1998. Dr John Reid, then Minister of State for the Armed Forces,
expresses his "concern" over the Guardsmen’s continued imprisonment after
meeting those campaigning on their behalf. Dr Reid refused numerous requests
for a meeting with the Mc Bride family and justified the use of MoD property
by those campaigning on behalf of convicted murderers.
July 1998. Secretary of State Dr Mo Mowlam promised the McBride family at a
meeting that the two would not be among the first wave of prisoners released
under the new legislation. Dr Mowlam was specifically advised at the meeting
that early September was both the anniversary of Peter’s birthday and of his
murder and was therefore a sensitive time for the family.
September 2 1998. The soldiers were released from Maghaberry Prison, Co
Antrim, 2 days before the sixth anniversary of Peter’s murder, and in
advance of other prisoner releases.
November 3 1998. The Army Board decides that Wright and Fisher may continue
their careers in the services under an ‘exceptional circumstances’ clause.
December 1998 The Mc Bride family, accompanied by legal representatives and
a member of the Pat Finucane Centre, met with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD who
promised his full support for their campaign.
January 26 1999 The McBride family and a Pat Finucane Centre representative
met Doug Henderson, Armed Forces Minister and member of the Army Board.
After a heated exchange Mrs Mc Bride walks out of the meeting.
June 1999 Mrs Mc Bride applies to the Northern Ireland High Court for leave
to challenge the Army Board’s decision by way of judicial review.
Sept 6, 1999 Justice Kerr gave judgement that a new Army Board must
reconsider the future of the guardsmen. The original Army Board decision
which held that the two had committed ‘an error of judgement’ was rejected
by the court.
April 10 2000 Members of the Mc Bride family hand in a letter to 10 Downing
St. Later a Downing St spokesperson admits that no reply was sent to the Mc
Bride family because the letter had been ‘lost’.
September 2000 The Mc Bride family hand in an A1 sized letter to 10 Downing
St to replace the ‘lost’ letter.
November 24 2000 A new Army Board again decides to allow the two guardsmen
to remain in the Army. The members of the Army Board who made the decision
were John Spellar MP, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Major General
Judd, Quartermaster General and General Sir Mike Jackson, Commander in Chief
Land Command. The latter served as a member of the Parachute Regiment in
Derry on Bloody Sunday as Adjutant and temporary Press Officer to Colonel
Derek Wilford. The decision is condemned by the Independent Assessor on
Military Complaints, the Catholic Primate, the Presbyterian Moderator and
others.
December 1 2000 International Day of Action with pickets and protests
worldwide.
December 13 2000 A motion condemning the Army Board’s decision is passed
unanimously in Dail Eireann, the Irish parliament.
December 24 2000 The News of the World prints an apology to Jean McBride
after an earlier article which totally misrepresented the facts surrounding
the murder of her son and her campaign for justice.
January 4 2001 The German Government expresses concern following
confirmation that the two convicted murderers are based in Germany. German
Government officials maintain contact with the Irish Embassy regarding the
case.
February 5 2001 The second judicial review is adjourned after the MoD
neglected to lodge the appropriate papers in time.
March 29 2001 The judicial review begins in the High Court in Belfast.
May 24 2001 International Day of Action, with events in the USA, Australia,
England and Germany.
June 25 2001 Belfast’s High Court hears final submissions in the second
judicial review. It emerges in court that British Army authorities had
withheld from the Army Board written submissions filed by Madden & Finucane
solicitors. Legal counsel for the MoD also admitted that the two soldiers
had shown no remorse and continued to deny their culpability. The MoD argued
that a six year sentence was a ‘powerful deterrent’ for the crime of murder…
April 17 2002 Judgement on the second judicial review to be delivered by
Justice Kerr in Belfast High Court at 9.30am. (should there be any change we
will post an update.)
A full briefing on the case can be found on the Pat Finucane Centre website:
www.serve.com/pfc