Attorney General Brenda King orders fresh inquest into Billy McGreanery killing

The move follows a Public Prosecution Service decision on Monday that the soldier alleged to have shot Billy would not be prosecuted in relation to the killing.

Billy McGreanery was shot dead by a member of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, ciphered soldier A, at the junction of Eastway, Lonemoor Road and Westland Street, late on September 14, 1971.

He died approximately 4 hours later in the early hours of September 15, 1971. He was 41.

On Monday the PPS confirmed the available evidence was insufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction.

Following this decision, the family’s solicitor Gary Duffy from KRW Law wrote to the Attorney General asking that the inquest now be ordered.

This was granted on Tuesday by Attorney General Brenda King.

Billy McGreanery, nephew of Billy McGreanery said: “We were uplifted by the news today that the Attorney General has ordered a fresh inquest into Billy’s death.

"This gives us a glimmer of hope for the future. We still have the resolve to fight on and get justice for our uncle Billy, despite the major setback yesterday.

"We welcome the acknowledgement by the Attorney General that there are still questions that need to be addressed, and we hope that an inquest does take place at some stage to give us these answers.”

Solicitor for the McGreanery family Gary Duffy from KRW Law said: “Yesterday’s PPS refusal to prosecute anyone in connection with the killing of Billy McGreanery was gut-wrenching for the family.

"However. their distress has been alleviated to an extent in light of the Attorney General’s decision that a new inquest would be advisable.

"The announcement couldn’t be any timelier, coming as it does less than 24 hours after the PPS Decision, and indeed less than 24 hours before the Legacy Act cut- off date.

"Yet again this case presents as an example of how the current legacy processes can and do work in certain instances for families. The Legacy Act serves to dismantle all of the existing legal mechanisms and puts us into a conflict- resolution dark era.‘’

Sara Duddy from the Pat Finucane Centre said: “This is welcome news following yesterday’s devastating decision not to prosecute Soldier A in connection with Billy’s death.

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"We now are appealing to the Labour Party, should they win the next election, to make good on their promise to repeal the shameful Legacy Act so that this inquest can go forward.

"We are also awaiting the outcome of the Legacy Act legal challenge that is due to be consider by the Court of Appeal in June.”

Ruling out prosecutions in the case of Mr. McGreanery and also in the case of 14-year-old school girl Annette McGavigan who was shot dead by a British soldier on September 6, 1971, PPS Assistant Director Martin Hardy said: “Both cases featured significant evidential difficulties arising from the circumstances in which accounts were taken and recorded, both by the Royal Military Police in 1971, and later by the PSNI’s Historical Enquiries Team.

“In addition, the death of significant witnesses and a failure to conduct effective investigations at the time has undoubtedly hampered more recent investigative efforts and the prosecutorial prospects in these cases.”

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