Families of IRA men shot dead reach settlements for damages
Summary
The families of two IRA men, Brian Campbell and Colm McGirr, who were shot dead by British soldiers in 1983, have reached confidential settlements in their legal claims against the UK Ministry of Defence and Police Service of Northern Ireland. The families had accused the authorities of a shoot-to-kill policy and poor investigations, and the settlements follow decades of legal and forensic efforts.Key Facts
- Brian Campbell (19) and Colm McGirr (23) were shot dead near Coalisland, County Tyrone, in December 1983 during a British military operation.
- The families sued the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for damages, claiming a shoot-to-kill policy and inadequate investigations.
- The shootings occurred after British soldiers, part of the SAS, had been watching a weapons cache for three days and then opened fire.
- An expert report in 2013 found that McGirr was likely shot while kneeling and Campbell was shot from behind, possibly while on the ground.
- The families launched legal actions in 2016 based on this report.
- The High Court announced confidential settlements have been reached after many years of negotiations.
- The families plan to donate part of the settlement money to charity.
- Family members have described the long struggle for justice and emphasized the importance of forensic evidence in understanding the deaths.
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