12 November 1998 Edition
McBride family to challenge British Army board
By Laura Friel
The British army's refusal to dismiss two Scots Guards convicted of the murder of Peter McBride is to be challenged by the dead man's family.
Last week's decision by a British army board was described by Peter McBride's mother Jean as ``shocking''. Speaking at Belfast High Court, where the McBride family had joined a picket in support of the family of another British army murder victim Karen Reilly, Jean said the news that Mark Wright and James Fisher, the two soldiers convicted of the murder, were to stay in the British army was like saying her son's death didn't matter. ``Well it matters to me,'' Jean said.
Those selected to sit on the British army board were exceptionally senior. They included armed forces Minister Doug Henderson, the most senior ranking British army chief in Britain, General Roger Wheeler, his deputy Major General Mike Wilcocks, Adjutant General Alex Harley and one of the most important civil servants at the British Ministry of Defence, Roger Jackling.
On 3 November, the board announced its decision to retain the two Guardsmen within the British army. ``They talk about decommissioning,'' said Jean, ``and then they hand two convicted murderers guns as soon as they're out of jail.''
An unarmed civilian, Peter McBride was shot dead by a British army patrol in September 1992 in North Belfast. The two soldiers convicted of his murder were branded as ``liars'' by trial judge Kelly who described Fisher as ``particularly evasive and untruthful'' and accused Wright of lying about almost every aspect. Kelly ruled the two soldiers had ``no possible justification for opening fire''. The ruling was reiterated by the Court of Appeal in December 1995. Six months later, in what Jean McBride describes as ``the dirtiest campaign ever'', senior members of the British military establishment began a public lobbying campaign to secure the two Guardsmen's release.
``The campaign turned everything on its head,'' said Jean, `` the men convicted for murdering my son were portrayed in the British media as the victims while Peter's name was besmirched.'' Key figures supporting the campaign included MP's Phil Gallie from Ayrshire, Andrew Welsh, Arbroath, Tam Dalyell and perhaps most significantly, anti sleaze MP Martin Bell and broadcaster Ludovic Kennedy. Kennedy went even further than most of his campaign colleagues by questioning the outcome of the original trial. Most others accepted the soldiers' guilt; they just believed as members of the British army they shouldn't be punished.
The high profile media-led campaign secured Fisher and Wright's release on 2 September. The two were immediately flown to a British army training barracks in North Yorkshire. Sentenced to life, the two soldiers served less than three years in jail.
Commenting on the British army board's refusal to dismiss the convicted soldiers, supporter Martin Bell said he was not surprised. ``The army looks after its own,'' he said. Members of the British army have killed over 400 people in the Six counties in disputed circumstances. Only 19 soldiers have ever been charged with murder, six have been convicted with only two serving sentences in excess of three years.
The British army's refusal to dismiss two Scots Guards convicted of the murder of Peter McBride is to be challenged by the dead man's family.
Last week's decision by a British army board was described by Peter McBride's mother Jean as ``shocking''. Speaking at Belfast High Court, where the McBride family had joined a picket in support of the family of another British army murder victim Karen Reilly, Jean said the news that Mark Wright and James Fisher, the two soldiers convicted of the murder, were to stay in the British army was like saying her son's death didn't matter. ``Well it matters to me,'' Jean said.
Those selected to sit on the British army board were exceptionally senior. They included armed forces Minister Doug Henderson, the most senior ranking British army chief in Britain, General Roger Wheeler, his deputy Major General Mike Wilcocks, Adjutant General Alex Harley and one of the most important civil servants at the British Ministry of Defence, Roger Jackling.
On 3 November, the board announced its decision to retain the two Guardsmen within the British army. ``They talk about decommissioning,'' said Jean, ``and then they hand two convicted murderers guns as soon as they're out of jail.''
An unarmed civilian, Peter McBride was shot dead by a British army patrol in September 1992 in North Belfast. The two soldiers convicted of his murder were branded as ``liars'' by trial judge Kelly who described Fisher as ``particularly evasive and untruthful'' and accused Wright of lying about almost every aspect. Kelly ruled the two soldiers had ``no possible justification for opening fire''. The ruling was reiterated by the Court of Appeal in December 1995. Six months later, in what Jean McBride describes as ``the dirtiest campaign ever'', senior members of the British military establishment began a public lobbying campaign to secure the two Guardsmen's release.
``The campaign turned everything on its head,'' said Jean, `` the men convicted for murdering my son were portrayed in the British media as the victims while Peter's name was besmirched.'' Key figures supporting the campaign included MP's Phil Gallie from Ayrshire, Andrew Welsh, Arbroath, Tam Dalyell and perhaps most significantly, anti sleaze MP Martin Bell and broadcaster Ludovic Kennedy. Kennedy went even further than most of his campaign colleagues by questioning the outcome of the original trial. Most others accepted the soldiers' guilt; they just believed as members of the British army they shouldn't be punished.
The high profile media-led campaign secured Fisher and Wright's release on 2 September. The two were immediately flown to a British army training barracks in North Yorkshire. Sentenced to life, the two soldiers served less than three years in jail.
Commenting on the British army board's refusal to dismiss the convicted soldiers, supporter Martin Bell said he was not surprised. ``The army looks after its own,'' he said. Members of the British army have killed over 400 people in the Six counties in disputed circumstances. Only 19 soldiers have ever been charged with murder, six have been convicted with only two serving sentences in excess of three years.