Blair Trying to Defend Indefensible in McBride Murder - Mark Durkan

Andrea McKernon, Andersontown News, www.irelandclick.com

January 5, 2003

A date has been set for the next round of a long-running legal battle to have the soldier killers of Peter McBride dumped from the British army.

The Court of Appeal in Belfast will hear the case on January 16 and 17. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is facing increasing calls to discharge two convicted murderers after 20,000 postcards were printed to be sent to 10 Downing Street at Christmas.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan who recently met Jean McBride in her home in the New Lodge says he has written to every political leader in Ireland asking them to back his bid to scrap the careers of the Scots Guards who shot dead Belfast teenager Peter McBride in September 1992.

The former Deputy First Minister has also written to Gerhard Schroeder, the head of Germany’s government, where the two men have recently been based, asking him to raise the case with Tony Blair.

Mark Durkan said: “Jean McBride`s son, Peter McBride, was shot in the back by two British soldiers, Guardsmen Fisher and Wright, ten years ago. Despite being convicted of murder, they were never discharged from the army and they continue to serve in the army to this very day,” he said.

“Seeing the soldiers being given early release was difficult for the McBride family, but they accepted it in the context of the peace process. But what they cannot accept – and should never have to accept – is that the two murderers are kept on in the British army. That is a total affront to basic human rights.”

Peter McBride (18) was killed by Guardsmen Mark Wright and James Fisher close to his home after they searched him and he ran away. The court threw out claims by the soldiers that he was carrying a coffeejar bomb.

They were convicted of murder in 1995 by released three years later and allowed to rejoin their regiment.

The McBride family launched a legal fight to overturn the British Army Board’s decision. However, their latest judicial review application was rejected by the High Court in April.

Mark Durkan has pledged to increase pressure on Tony Blair to expel the two men from the army.

“I have already written to the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, highlighting the terrible wrong done to the McBride family,” he said.

“His response has been dismissive as he has tried to defend the indefensible. I have also called on him to meet the McBride family – as they were promised would happen. Yet no meeting has occurred.

“The time has now come to take this case a step further. The McBride family have asked me to write to all of the political parties on the island of Ireland asking them to raise this case with Tony Blair. I hope that they will all speak with one voice about the injustice done in this case.

“Nowhere else in Europe would murderers be found fit to serve in an army. Murder is murder. It doesn’t matter who carried it out; it should be treated equally seriously. This case will not go away,” he said.