logo
Troubles veteran ‘thrown to wolves' in ‘relentless' investigations

Troubles veteran ‘thrown to wolves' in ‘relentless' investigations

Times10 hours ago
Wearing a hearing aid, the former paratrooper now in his mid-seventies explains that his memory is not as good as it once was. 'There are huge gaps,' said the man known as Soldier C, speaking publicly for the first time in more than a decade.
In 2021 the veteran, a recipient of the British Empire Medal for his service during the Troubles, went on trial for murder in Northern Ireland over the fatal shooting of the Official IRA commander Joe McCann in the Markets area of Belfast in 1972.
It was the first prosecution since the 1998 Good Friday agreement. He was subsequently acquitted as the landmark case collapsed because of a lack of fresh evidence. Now, four years on, he is facing his another investigation, his fifth overall, in the form of an inquest.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Swindon road cordon remains as murder investigation continues
Swindon road cordon remains as murder investigation continues

BBC News

time22 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Swindon road cordon remains as murder investigation continues

A police cordon remains in place as detectives continue to investigate the suspected murder of a man in his victim was taken to hospital for urgent treatment following the incident on Manchester Road in Swindon at about 05:10 on Wednesday, but later died from his injuries. A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, with police also searching for the victim's next of Road remains closed in both directions between Rosebery Street and A4259 County Road. Det Ch Insp Phil Walker, who is leading the investigation, appealed for anyone with relevant information, dash cam, or CCTV footage to come officers would also like to speak to a member of the public who initially alerted nearby officers but did not leave his added that there was "no information to suggest that this incident is linked to a terrorism arrest", which took place in the same area in May.

The first year of a United Ireland could cost €3bn
The first year of a United Ireland could cost €3bn

BBC News

time27 minutes ago

  • BBC News

The first year of a United Ireland could cost €3bn

The first year of a united Ireland could cost €3bn (£2.6bn) according to a report which describes it as "well within what could be afforded".The research, from Dublin City University and Ulster University, has calculated the cost of unity over the first 10 suggests the cost has been exaggerated partly because of how much the UK government subsidises Northern Ireland being "misinterpreted and misunderstood."It also suggests if Northern Ireland was back in the EU the potential growth has not received enough attention. How is the cost worked out? The subsidy from the UK government is the difference between how much tax is raised in Northern Ireland, and Northern Ireland's share of the overall UK report estimates that number will be €1.7bn (£1.5bn).This is after breaking down pensions, debt, defence, UK central costs, and taxation, and is much lower than other estimates of €11.5bn (£10bn) to €16.1bn (£14bn).The report arrived at the €3bn (£2.6bn) first year total cost by taking that €1.7bn (£1.5bn) into account, plus an additional €1bn (£0.86bn) in public spending for "necessary investment", as well as the added costs of wage and pension recommends public spending in Northern Ireland should increase by €1bn (£0.86bn) a year to deal with necessary investment in health, welfare, education, and says this additional spending should be maintained, as a minimum, for 10 years. There would also be the added cost of equalising public sector sector wages in the Republic are on average 48% higher than those in Northern Ireland – impacting 29% of the entire NI labour report suggests it would cost an extra €152m (£131m) each year over 15 addition, it suggests the transfer of public sector and state pensions would cost an additional €115m (£99m) a year over 40 said: "This is well within what could be afforded, and allows scope for additional investment, as the economy grows, beyond the €1bn (£0.86bn) a year of additional spending built into this model."Depending on economic growth, it suggests Northern Ireland would end its need for a subsidy in five to nine growth in the Republic averaged 3.2% a year from 2000 to 2024, whereas growth in Northern Ireland averaged just 1.3% over the same with the south would therefore be likely to see a significant increase in economic growth. Report author Professor John Doyle, Vice President for Research in Dublin City University said:"With the same set of policies on education, infrastructure, tax and Foreign Direct Investment, there is no obvious reason why Northern Ireland would remain so much poorer and so much less economically productive that, for example Munster.""Convergence with the more productive and wealthier Southern economy will take time, but the deficit will close much more quickly," he University Economic Policy Centre's Dr Eoin Magennis said: "This paper sets out the ambitious level of growth needed to close gaps in public finances but also the time that will be needed to produce such a necessary convergence.""How to do that – through improving educational outcomes in NI or adopting different infrastructural choices – will mean a fresh set of choices needing to be made," he added. 'Not convincing' However Dr Esmond Birnie suggests Professor Doyle is minimising the assumed financial costs of a "United Ireland"He said: "Prof Doyle, as in his 2021 ARINs article, rather optimistically assumes that the UK government would both meet all public sector pension obligations and release NI from its pro rata share of UK public debt."He describes the report's funding requirements under different future growth scenarios as "not all that convincing.""It would be desirable if NI moved on to a higher growth path but chronic under-performance in the NI economy suggests some of these things are not easily changed.""Major constitutional change is neither a necessary or sufficient condition of improving economic performance and this report does not provide evidence that a United Ireland per se would spur performance," he added.

Prisoner charged with murder after inmate found dead in cell
Prisoner charged with murder after inmate found dead in cell

Sky News

time36 minutes ago

  • Sky News

Prisoner charged with murder after inmate found dead in cell

A prisoner has been charged with murder after another inmate was found dead in his cell. West Mercia Police said a man in his 40s was discovered dead in his cell at around 7.40am on Tuesday at HMP Stoke Heath. Jonathan Alcide, 26, also an inmate at the category C men's prison near Market Drayton, Shropshire, has been charged in connection with the death and is currently in police custody. He is due to appear before Telford Magistrates' Court on Thursday. HMP Stoke Heath houses nearly 800 male prisoners. Most prisoners in England and Wales are housed in category C prisons. They are described as training and resettlement prisons, and are intended to provide prisoners with the opportunity to develop their skills so they can find work and resettle back into the community on release. In the 12 months leading up to March 2025, there were 399 deaths in prison custody in England and Wales. This represents a 37% increase on the 291 deaths in the previous 12 months.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store