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----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Fenian Voice <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2002 10:24 AM
Subject: [eireshaor] Justice for Stephen McConomy
Courtesy of Bob McComony:
www.gopetition.com is hosting a petition entitled Justice for Stephen
McConomy.
The link below takes you straight to the petition:
<A
HREF="http://gopetition.com/info.php?petid=123">http://gopetition.com/info.p
hp?petid=123</A>
Regards,
Robert McConomy
Stephen McConomy 11 years, Dove Gardens, Derry City, hit by
a plastic bullet on 16 April 1982, fired by a
member of the British
Army’s Royal Anglian Regiment. He died in
hospital three days
later on 19 April.
Stephen was the oldest of a family with three sons. He attended
Stephen was the oldest of a family with three sons. He attended
Saint John’s Primary School in Creggan. His mother
described
him as an
intelligent boy who was often given tasks rarely given
to children
of his age. She said he enjoyed school and was
looking forward to
attending secondary school. ‘He was quiet,
shy and caring boy,
whose hobbies included football and pop
music.’
‘I’ll be in at half eight,’ were Stephen’s last words to his mother when
‘I’ll be in at half eight,’ were Stephen’s last words to his mother when
he left home on the evening of 16 April 1982. He
met a friend and the
two children went to play near Donagh Flats, at
Fahan Street. Shortly
before 8pm Stephen
and his friend were standing near the flats watching
the antics of a
small group of children throwing stones at a British army
armoured vehicle, which was parked only yards from
where the two boys
stood. The armoured vehicle was part of an
operation giving cover to
military bomb
disposal team dealing with a hoax call at the nearby
Butcher’s Gate. Heavily armed members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
also patrolled the
city walls overlooking Fahan Street.
Civilian witnesses said the area was relatively quiet with only about five
or six children between the ages of ten and twelve playing with and Irish
Tricolour. The children were trying to place the flag over the front of the
armoured vehicle parked in Fahan Street.
A number of residents in the flats overlooking the area also described the
scene. They said the soldiers in the armoured vehicle began revving the
engine as if they were going to charge the children. One of the boys had a
stick and was beating the armoured vehicle with it, while other children
were trying to pull off riot-shields attached to the side of the vehicle. On
Civilian witnesses said the area was relatively quiet with only about five
or six children between the ages of ten and twelve playing with and Irish
Tricolour. The children were trying to place the flag over the front of the
armoured vehicle parked in Fahan Street.
A number of residents in the flats overlooking the area also described the
scene. They said the soldiers in the armoured vehicle began revving the
engine as if they were going to charge the children. One of the boys had a
stick and was beating the armoured vehicle with it, while other children
were trying to pull off riot-shields attached to the side of the vehicle. On
the driver’s side of the vehicle a small hatch
opened and the muzzle of a
plastic bullet gun was pushed through the opening. When the children
plastic bullet gun was pushed through the opening. When the children
around the vehicle saw the gun muzzle they ran away
towards Rossville
Flats. Stephen was standing near the front of the
vehicle at the time, his
two hands in his pockets, and seeing the gun he
turned to walk away.
As he did the soldier sitting in the driver’s seat
fired the plastic bullet gun
through the opening.
The impact of the plastic bullet, fired from less than six yards, lifted
Stephen onto a grassy bank where he lay unconscious. Seeing the child’s
plight two young men rushed to his aid, but before they could reach him they
were threatened by the soldiers inside the vehicle that they would by shot
if they went near him. None of the soldiers got out of the armoured vehicle at
any time. Only after two or three minutes were the men allowed to approach
the injured boy. When they saw how seriously injured he was they picked him
up and were carrying him towards nearby houses for help, when an RUC
armoured vehicle arrived at the scene. The men banged on the side of the
The impact of the plastic bullet, fired from less than six yards, lifted
Stephen onto a grassy bank where he lay unconscious. Seeing the child’s
plight two young men rushed to his aid, but before they could reach him they
were threatened by the soldiers inside the vehicle that they would by shot
if they went near him. None of the soldiers got out of the armoured vehicle at
any time. Only after two or three minutes were the men allowed to approach
the injured boy. When they saw how seriously injured he was they picked him
up and were carrying him towards nearby houses for help, when an RUC
armoured vehicle arrived at the scene. The men banged on the side of the
RUC vehicle and asked them to help, they were told
to get into the back
of the vehicle, which then drove off. As the two men tried to make
the dying
boy comfortable, one of the RUC members told them
an ambulance had
been notified
and would meet them on the way to the hospital. However,
no ambulance appeared and the child, cradled in the
arms of one of the
men, had to make the
whole journey to hospital in the back of the RUC
vehicle. By the time
they reached the hospital the man holding Stephen
was soaked in blood.
Stephen’s condition was so serious he was transferred
to the Royal
Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he died three days later.
After the child’s death the RUC issued a statement claiming they would be
carrying out an investigation into the shooting. On 18 August 1982 the
After the child’s death the RUC issued a statement claiming they would be
carrying out an investigation into the shooting. On 18 August 1982 the
RUC announced it had concluded their
investigation and a report sent to
the Northern Ireland Department of Public
Prosecutions who subsequently
decided not to prosecute any of the British
soldiers involved in the shooting.
An inquest into the killing of Stephen McConomy was held in June
An inquest into the killing of Stephen McConomy was held in June
1983. None of the
soldiers involved attended the hearing and a
military representative read out their statements, identifying each
soldier by a letter
of the alphabet. It was reported that over twenty- five
civilian witnesses did attend to give
evidence.
The jury in their ‘findings’ accepted the British army and RUC claim that
the army vehicle involved came under attacked from seven to eight youths.
However, they pointed out that the soldiers inside the army vehicle did not
‘seem to have been in any great danger.’ The jury accepted Stephen was
The jury in their ‘findings’ accepted the British army and RUC claim that
the army vehicle involved came under attacked from seven to eight youths.
However, they pointed out that the soldiers inside the army vehicle did not
‘seem to have been in any great danger.’ The jury accepted Stephen was
shot rom a distance of 17 feet, (well below the
British army’s own
recommended distance of 60-70 feet.) They jury also
stated there was
insufficient evidence to show that Stephen had been
throwing stones.
A sentence in the jury’s original ‘findings’ that there was no justification
for firing the baton round was deleted after objections from the Crown.
During the hearing it was further revealed that the plastic bullet gun used
to kill the boy was defective, requiring the trigger to be pulled twice to
discharge a baton round. It was also revealed the soldier who fired the
fatal ullet knew nothing about the regulations governing the use of the
A sentence in the jury’s original ‘findings’ that there was no justification
for firing the baton round was deleted after objections from the Crown.
During the hearing it was further revealed that the plastic bullet gun used
to kill the boy was defective, requiring the trigger to be pulled twice to
discharge a baton round. It was also revealed the soldier who fired the
fatal ullet knew nothing about the regulations governing the use of the
weapon.
Mrs McConomy, commenting on the inquest, said that while she was
Mrs McConomy, commenting on the inquest, said that while she was
satisfied with the verdict, she knew all along her
son was not rioting,
and she did not need any jury to tell of her son’s
innocence.
No British soldiers were ever charged in connection with the killing of
Stephen McConomy.
<A
HREF="http://www.relativesforjustice.com/victims/stephen_mcconomy.htm">http:
file://www.relativesforjustice.com/victims/stephen_mcconomy.htm</A>
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No British soldiers were ever charged in connection with the killing of
Stephen McConomy.
<A
HREF="http://www.relativesforjustice.com/victims/stephen_mcconomy.htm">http:
file://www.relativesforjustice.com/victims/stephen_mcconomy.htm</A>
To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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