State Violence

by Raymond Murray

  One policeman had left the van and walked eighteen yards to this corner. He then shot Michael coming walking down the strip with tin and brush in his hand. Michael seems to have staggered, dropping the tin. There are three white splashes of paint over a few yards. Then he fell at one of the back doors (where people saw a spot of blood), half-way down the ‘entry’ or concrete strip. Just before the shot was fired, the other policeman reversed the van. The boys were watching the van from the top of Dromara Street at this time. Just as it was coming up the street, they heard the shot. The other three lads, still under the bridge, heard the shot also but disputed among themselves as to whether it was a shot or the backfiring of a vehicle. They remained on playing cards for about fifteen minutes. None of the six lads heard a ‘halt’ call or a challenge. An experiment carried out by the Association for Legal Justice with Fr Murray showed that a challenge call would be heard under the bridge where the card players were, despite traffic, from the point where the shot was fired, or where the body lay, or at the cutting near the top of Dromara Street.

  The policeman who fired the shot joined his companion who had stopped the van at the top of Dromara Street at the entry of the cutting running back into the waste factory ground. Mrs Kelly who lives in 2 Dromara Street had seen the van going down the street between 10.20 and 10.30pm. She went into the kitchen and came back into the front room again. She saw the two men in the van; the policeman who fired the shot had rejoined his companion. She then saw one of them get out and go up the entry (cutting) opposite her house. He came straight back again and spoke to the man who had remained in the van. The other man went up the entry (cutting) and the first fellow went up the street towards the Ormeau Road again. Mrs Kelly was suspicious of the strangers and feared they might be planting a bomb. She went back to the kitchen to get her key and walking stick, intending to go out and phone the police. When she got back to the front door, the police and army had just arrived and the ambulance came a short time later.

  When the three lads at the top of Dromara Street heard the shot, they ran down to the Burger Man Chippie at the top of Farnham Street, two or three streets down and stood outside it. The three under the bridge emerged some fifteen minutes after the shot. They had their names taken by the British army. They heard Michael was shot but only knew the next day that he had died. The police give the time of the shooting as 10.33pm. This would fit in with the evidence.

  The commotion in Dromara Street soon brought neighbours to the doors. Mrs Jessie Ross learned the news from her ten-year-old daughter who came into the house. She came out and spoke to a policeman. She saw the ambulance men with the stretcher and knew the boy on the stretcher to be Michael McCartan. She found out from a policeman that a priest had not been called nor had the police informed the parents. She phoned Fr Newberry who arrived on the scene and later went to the Royal Victoria Hospital. At first everybody thought Michael was wounded but not too bad. He died at 1.30am on Thursday morning 24 July.

  Seán came home from America on Friday. Fr Newberry and the father went to meet him coming off the coach to break the news. It was a sad homecoming for him. He was carrying his presents for Michael, records and a shirt. Seán was in the United States with a party of Catholic and Protestant school children on a four-week trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, organised by Ulster Project.

  Subsequent to the above account the Belfast Telegraph of 10, 15, 16, 19 June 1981 reported the trial of Constable Robert McKeown for the murder of Michael McCartan. It was stated that he was attached to the RUC dog handling section based at Stormont. It was detailed at the trial that the youth was shot at 10.30pm on 23 July and died at 1.15am on 24 July 1980. Crown counsel said a high velocity bullet would make a hole in clothing at the entry point, but not necessarily at the exit point; the only hole in Michael McCartan’s clothes was at the back. The bullet was never found. The crown case was that the youth was therefore shot in the back and could not have been in a posture which would have made the RUC officer think he had a gun. A doctor and surgeon gave evidence that they believed he was shot in front, while a forensic scientist told the hearing he believed the bullet entered his body through his back. The scientist said he found the bullet entrance hole in the lower left side, and at the back, of the youth’s blue denim jacket. He said, ‘In my view there is no possibility of this being other than the entrance hole. The bullet residue indicates that the bullet travelled into the body from the back’. He added that there were corresponding holes in the back of the youth’s shirt and red T-shirt and that there was no other bullet hole in his clothing. The accused McKeown claimed he thought the paint brush the youth was holding was a gun and that he opened fire to defend himself, believing he was about to be attacked. The other RUC officer, who was in the van with McKeown when they stopped, said that they had been alerted to keep watch for two armed and masked men travelling in a car, reportedly spotted in the Markets area. He said he did not see the actual shooting but heard McKeown shout a warning ‘Stop! Police!’ before he fired a single shot.

  On 16 June an RUC detective-Chief Inspector read McKeown’s statement in court, ‘When I got to the corner of the wall I drew my Walther pistol and held it to my side. I was facing a situation I never faced before. I saw a youth whom I recognised as the one I had seen pick up a parcel a few moments earlier. He moved hurriedly past me. I shouted to him ‘Police! Stop!’ He started to run. I again shouted and he turned towards me’. McKeown said he thought the paint brush was a gun and that the youth was going to shoot him. ‘I immediately fired my gun once and he fell to the ground. He was conscious and I asked him where the gun was but he made no reply.’ No gun was found. It was stated that McKeown was about ten yards from the youth when he shot him. On 19 the Belfast Telegraph reported the acquittal of Constable Robert McKeown. The judge, Lord Justice Jones, said the killing was ‘a bona fide mistake’ and that the RUC man’s belief that the paint brush was a gun was reasonable. Judge Jones said, ‘He acted under an honest and reasonable belief that a terrorist was going to shoot him from close range. He had little time to think’. He accepted McKeown’s statement that he had shouted a warning. He accepted that Michael McCartan was shot in the back and that ‘that does not contradict the accused’s account and I see how this happened as the men turned to face each other’. During his judgement he said, ‘Some people may question how a paint brush could be mistaken for a gun. But I think you have to consider the setting. It was a night of some tension and the light was poor.’

  Taken from my account in the pamphlet Michael Mccartan (1980).

  Danny Barrett, killed by a British army sniper, 9 July 1981

  On 9 July 1981 Danny Barrett, aged 15 years, of Havana Court, Ardoyne, Belfast, was shot dead by the British army about 9.30pm.

  On the afternoon of 9 July his friend, George McErlean, aged 16, called for Danny at his home in Havana Court. They went over to the Pool Hut at the bottom of Brompton Park between 6.30pm and 7.00pm and came back about 7.15pm. They called for a few minutes at Joseph Brown’s house at Havana Court. He was watching ‘Top of the Pops’ so they left and came to Danny’s house. There they watched ‘Top of the Pops’ until about 8pm. They went out and met the rest of their friends at Brompton. There had been a Black Flag March, not an uncommon thing during the Hunger Strike at H Blocks, and there was a crowd there. They did not stand around so they went to the club at Herbert Street to go to the disco. There were four or five of them. There was no crowd at the disco so Danny, George, and Kevin Mullen returned to Danny’s house. There was rioting down at the waste ground beside Holy Cross School. They watched and then heard a couple of shots. They went back to Danny’s house.

  James Barrett, Danny’s father, recounts that, despite some rioting at the bottom of Brompton Park, all was quiet at Havana Court. Havana Court is a small square of newly-built red brick houses. There is a main entrance from Flax Street. The high building tower of Ewart’s Mill, on top of which is a British army camera and sentry post visible to the eye, domin
ates the area and gives a clear visionary line right down the little front gardens of the row of houses where Danny lived. These small front gardens are surrounded by low brick walls about two feet high. A number of plastic bullets were fired at the rioters who were mainly children. The children threw stones; then ran to retrieve the plastic bullets. James Barrett also heard a number of shots fired but did not know from where or from whom. The shooting, he thought, seemed to come from the direction of Brompton Park. When Danny heard the first shots, he rushed into the house along with the other children. There was a short lull and Danny walked out to the front again and James went with him. James stood at the door. Danny sat on the low wall at right angles to the house and was facing towards Flax Street. George McErlean was standing in the hall of Danny’s house. Joseph Foster, aged 16, had been at the Pool Hut and had come over to Havana Court by himself. He sat down on the wall beside Danny. Kevin Mullen was standing further down the path to the house. Gerry Ferguson was standing between James Barrett and Danny. Then there was a further number of shots. Joe Foster said to Danny, ‘Get down!’ Danny said, ‘Ach, it’s all right’. Then there was a single shot and Danny fell back over the wall. James saw Danny fall back over the wall. He thought at first Danny had thrown himself back to get down for cover. Gerry Ferguson got up. James looked over the wall and saw his son lying bleeding. He thought he had hit his head when he fell over. He jumped over the wall and saw he was losing a lot of blood. He knew then Danny had been shot. He was unconscious and appeared to be dead. He said an Act of Contrition in his ear and held him in his arms. He took off his shirt and tried to stem the flow of blood. An ambulance was called.

  Arrow marks spot where Danny Barrett was killed

  When Danny was shot, there was panic among the children and neighbours who had been drawn to the doors by the rioting and shooting. There had been some running to and fro by parents to bring children away from Brompton Park. When Danny was shot, some others in hysteria thought they had been shot too. Some ran into Mrs Veronica Clarke’s house next to Barrett’s. Some were screaming.

  Patrick Clarke, husband of Veronica, says that on 9 July he went to the local disco at around 8.45pm to bring home his eight-year old son. On his way home he saw two RUC land-rovers driving up Butler Street. A third land-rover was further down the street. He reached the junction of Butler Street/Flax Street at the same time as the land-rovers. He heard shots being fired from the direction of Etna Drive/ Brompton Park at the land-rovers. He grabbed his son and ran back to the old houses at Butler Street. The third land-rover came racing past him to join up with the other two. He heard a second number of shots which sounded different from the first firing and he assumed this was the RUC returning fire. The RUC land-rovers went into Ardoyne Avenue. Patrick crossed the waste ground and went home. He heard a lot of people shouting that a child had been shot. He saw young Danny Barrett lying on the ground; some neighbours were beside him; they were waiting for an ambulance. When it came, he went with Danny to the Mater Hospital. He realised that Danny was dead. Halfway down Flax Street, they were stopped by the British army. He was questioned as to who Danny was and all the details. This took about three minutes. At the bottom of Flax Street, they were again stopped by the British army who wanted to know details. The ambulance crew protested at the delay. They had to give all the information again and this took three minutes. The soldiers then said they would escort the ambulance to the hospital. One hundred and fifty yards down the Crumlin Road they were stopped by the RUC. The soldiers, who were in front of the ambulance, drove on. They had to give the RUC the same information again. The RUC went with them to the hospital. When they reached the Mater Hospital, the doctors were waiting at the gates. They came into the ambulance and pronounced Danny dead. The RUC asked Patrick to identify Danny. He did that and then they went to the morgue.

  At the time of the shooting, Danny’s mother, Mrs Margaret Barrett, was visiting her friend Lily Canavan at Strathroy Park, Ardoyne. James went to the house to tell her. He was pale and shocked. Mrs Barrett was sitting with her back to the window. Lily Canavan said, ‘Here’s your Jimmy coming. There must be something wrong.’ Mrs Barrett said, ‘Jimmy, what’s wrong? Is it our Danny?’ He shook his head and she ran out and down the entry. He followed her and said, ‘Danny was shot’. People were out of their homes. Mrs Barrett did not know Danny was dead. She saw the British soldiers and the RUC. She wanted to go to the hospital. She saw the priest at the hospital. She ran away. She knew he was bad. The priest told her he was dead and she came back home.

  Immediately after the shooting, the RUC and the British army came on the scene and searched the Barrett home. They looked through Tina’s schoolbooks. The officer in charge said they were looking for arms and not to go through trivial things. They searched through the yard, bin, coal-bunker and back-garden. They searched all the bedrooms and cupboards upstairs and down. They also searched Mickey Holland’s home, Danny’s chum. There was no one in the house at the time and they broke the back lock and window.

  The next morning, 10 July, around 6am, the RUC, British army and forensic experts came to the outside of the house to examine a bullet hole in the next door neighbour’s house. James Barrett went out and spoke to them. They were pointing in the direction of the high-rise building in Flax Street which is a British army base. There is an observation post on top of it. The forensic men told James that was the direction the shot came from.

  Danny Barrett was buried after 10 o’clock Mass on 14 July 1981 from Holy Cross Church. Some statements have been made to the RUC but as yet there has been no inquest or any other development in the case.

  Danny Barrett is another victim of the British/Irish conflict. His life reflects his own people, the oppressed Catholic nationalists of the north of Ireland. His father Jimmy Barrett was born and reared in Hooker Street. He married in June 1963. His wife came from Unity Flats. They bought a wee house in Hooker Street and were there during the whole ‘troubles’ until the ‘peace line’ went up. They went up to Gormanstown College in County Meath the night of internment but only stayed a night. During the years they were often kicked about just like their neighbours, sleeping in schools in bad times. They left Hooker Street in June 1980 and moved to Havana Court. Danny loved the new house because of the bathroom and plenty of room to bring all his chums. In all the ‘troubles’ he never got hurt. James Barrett, his father, is forty years of age, an unemployed crane-driver. There are three other children, Susan (17), Conn (12), Tina (7). Mrs Barrett was always terribly afraid for Danny because of his age and the hunger strike. She kept him home from school the whole week before Bobby Sands died. His school, St Gabriel’s, is on the main Crumlin Road and she was afraid of any thing happening. Danny’s favourite pastimes were playing pool, discos and playing records. He was a normal boisterous lad of his age, liked the girls and had plenty of friends. He and his sister were due to go on holiday to Bray arranged by Ardoyne Youth Club each year. Danny was a member of Ardoyne Youth Club and around thirty children were going on the trip.

  On 19 May 1981, five British soldiers were killed by a land mine in Camlough, South Armagh. On that day, about 4pm, his mother was called to where some soldiers had stopped him. They were accusing him of having hijacked a car. Danny told his mother, ‘The soldier is after saying to me – “You see the soldier in the observation post; if he identifies you as the one who hijacked the car from Brompton Park, you’ll be sent away for a right spell.”’ It was from the same observation post Danny was shot. In July 1980, he was arrested with two others for alleged rioting. It went to court and the case was thrown out.

  Who will take an interest in the case of Danny Barrett shot by the British army? Is he to join the 11 other completely innocent men, women and children killed by the British army and no justice follow? Are we silent too long?

  I wrote this account in November 1981 for the pamphlet, Danny Barrett, published by Mgr Denis Faul and myself in January 1982.

  State Killings in Northern
Ireland, 1991–92

  Amnesty International celebrated its thirtieth birthday in 1991. People involved in the campaign for human rights in Northern Ireland are grateful to them for their interest in the protection of citizens of the north from the illegal acts of those in charge of the law. One calls to mind their reports of February 1972 and June 1978 on ill-treatment of those detained under emergency laws in interrogation centres, and reports in 1988 and 1990 on Killings by Security Forces in Northern Ireland. In their report of 1991 entitled United Kingdom: Human Rights Concerns Amnesty International condemned British government secrecy in police and military investigations. It renewed its call for an independent judicial inquiry into disputed killings by security forces in Northern Ireland. The report said that Amnesty ‘believes that such an inquiry is vital to help prevent future unlawful killings and to ensure that all disputed killings by security forces are promptly investigated and publicly clarified’.

  The British government has held inquiries before, but it is clear that they do not want to reveal the truth. On 30 January 1972, in Derry, British paratroopers shot dead 14 unarmed citizens in cold blood. Nevertheless, the inquiry under Lord Widgery into the events of Bloody Sunday did not fault the actions of the soldiers.