British army soldiers “lost control” and used force that was “not reasonable” in the killing of five civilians in Northern Ireland in 1972, an inquest judge has ruled. The verdict, delivered on Thursday by Mr Justice Scoffield, pertains to the Springhill and Westrock areas of west Belfast, where the shootings occurred on 9 July 1972.
Details of the Victims
Four of the victims – two teenagers, a father of six, and a Catholic priest – posed no risk when they were shot, the judge stated. The victims included Father Noel Fitzpatrick, 42, a curate at Corpus Christi church; Patrick Butler, 37, a Belfast Corporation refuse worker; Margaret Gargan, 13; David McCafferty, 15; and John Dougal, 16.
The coroner determined that Father Fitzpatrick and Patrick Butler were killed by the same bullet as they attempted to cross a road. Margaret Gargan was shot in the head while talking to friends. All three were deemed wholly innocent. David McCafferty was seeking to retrieve the priest’s body when he was shot in the back. The court heard that McCafferty was a member of Na Fianna Éireann, the IRA youth wing, but was unarmed and not engaged in offensive activity, and was considered an innocent victim.
Soldiers' Conduct
The inquest found that two soldiers, known as A and E, overreacted to perceived threats, fired prematurely, and ultimately lost control. The 640-page report stated that all fatal shootings were carried out by soldiers acting in breach of the ‘yellow card’ rules governing the use of lethal force. Four of the dead were unarmed, and it was unclear whether the fifth was armed. “None of the deceased should have been shot in the circumstances,” the report concluded.
Soldier A, who killed Dougal, Fitzpatrick, Butler, and McCafferty, fired from less than 100 metres away at Corry’s timber yard without first assessing what risk, if any, they posed. Soldier E shot Gargan. The coroner rejected the explanation that the soldiers were reacting to a mass coordinated attack on a timber yard where their unit was based, noting that brigade radio logs undermined that narrative.
Reactions and Context
McCafferty’s sister, Betty Kennedy, said the ruling brought “a long-awaited clarity and justice” to the family. “The passage of 54 years has been marked by profound grief, perseverance and unwavering pursuit of truth. David’s name is now cleared,” she said.
The inquest judge apologised for the delay in the verdict, which came two years after hearings concluded. This inquest was the last to complete before a 2024 guillotine on legacy court cases passed by the previous Conservative government. The current Labour government is amending the legislation but plans to keep the independent commission for reconciliation and information recovery, which was intended to replace inquests.
Butler’s daughter, Natasha, expressed concerns that the commission could not supply the same detailed narrative findings or give the same closure. “What we have seen today in terms of Springhill shows that, even after 54 years, inquests can deliver some measure of truth,” she said.
Paul Maskey, the Sinn Féin MP for Belfast West, said the verdict confirmed a belief that the victims had posed no threat. “This massacre has long lived in the psyche of our community, and so too has the British army’s impunity,” he added.
