Republican News · Thursday 13 March 1997

[An Phoblacht]

Mayhew may release Scots Guard murderers

By Mick Naughton

Rally to protest at British injustice

at the spot where Peter McBride was murdered by two British soldiers

Friday 14 March 7pm

Upper Meadow Street, New Lodge Road, Belfast

Show your support for the McBride family against British government's double standards

Speculation that two British soldiers convicted of murdering North Belfast teenager Peter McBride in the New Lodge Road in September 1992 may soon be released was described by McBride's mother Jean as ``a further extension of a nightmare that began when my son Peter was shot in the back shortly after 10 o'clock on a quiet autumn morning''.

As Jean McBride faced Mother's Day without her only son she compared her treatment to that of the two Scots Guards' mothers who have received full backing from the British military and political establishment.

``Guardsman Fisher's wife is still living in a British army barracks in married quarters, so he must be recognised as still being part of the British army.

``Britain's Ministry of Defence never sent me any message. Nothing official and certainly no word of sympathy. Even after they shot Peter the two went back into their base [Girdwood], had their lunch and it was a full 12 hours before an officer told them there might be an investigation. This was after they had watched the evening news.''

Leading the campaign for the soldiers' release is former Defence Secretary and NIO direct ruler Tom King, Tory unionist supporter Andrew Hunter, Labour MP Tam Dalyell, Liberal Democrat Menzies Campbell, Scots Nationalist Andrew Welsh, Tories Nicholas Winterton and Phil Gallie. They all signed a Westminister motion last month urging early release for Fisher and Wright (see box).

Backing that motion are members of the Scots Guards Fisher and Wright Release Group, which includes retired Scots Guards officer Major-General Murray Naylor and Sir David Scott-Barret (former General Officer Commanding Scotland).

Naylor has said every soldier who has served a tour of duty in Ireland could have been involved in something similar. ``There but for the grace of God go I,'' he said adding that the soldiers had simply made a ``misjudgement''.''

``If they release these two,'' Jean McBride said, ``it will allow the British to just send over another band of soldiers to murder another mother's innocent child. They have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt they have a licence to kill and if a soldier murders someone then they know their backs will be covered. My son was so important to me and what the British government is saying is he didn't matter and they just sweep it under the carpet.''

Amid speculation that Patrick Mayhew will announce their release ``within weeks'', Gerry Adams said it would be one of Mayhew's ``last acts, which would be a mark of his failed tenure.''

Jean McBride's remarks were supported by North Belfast Sinn Féin candidate Gerry Kelly who praised her personal courage for appearing on a BBC documentary about the killing. McBride spoke of her desire to let the people of Scotland understand that ``you can't do that anywhere in the world, shoot somebody in the back and expect to do a couple of years and then be patted on the back and sent out.''

During the programme Fisher's mother Sheila remarked that the two soldiers had been punished ``for doing their duty.''

Kelly also warned that releasing the soldiers could affect the prospects for peace, given the widespread reaction which followed the release of paratrooper Lee Clegg.

``Senior members of the British establishment are telling us that the death of an Irish teenager does not warrant the imprisonment of members of the British army. In much the same way as the release of Lee Clegg served to sap confidence from the peace process, the early release of Fisher and Wright will do nothing toward creating a climate conducive to peace building.''

Willie McBride, the murdered youth's uncle, said, ``Private Wright said he fired because he thought he heard a shot. As the only shots were fired by the soldiers concerned, what does this say about their training ``professionalism?''.

Fisher then contradicted Wright's evidence and said he believed the fleeing McBride was about to hurl a `coffee jar' bomb. Given the thorough body-searching of Peter by the same two soldiers and given the fact that he was in full view of them, it must have been immediately apparent to both soldiers that he was unarmed. Knowing Peter's identity, address and the fact that he was unarmed, was it not possible to simply radio ahead for his apprehension as has so often been the case?

Even Lord Chief Justice Kelly recognised: `this was not a panic situation which required split second action or indeed any action at all'.

Both soldiers, who were sentenced to life two years ago are using the precedent set by the case of Private Ian Thain, jailed for life in 1984 for shooting Thomas `Kidso' Reilly. Thain was released early - after serving just over two years - as was paratrooper Lee Clegg who served three years and one month for killing another Belfast teenager, Karen Reilly.

They are the only soldiers found guilty of shooting Irish civilians, despite 194 civilians having been acknowledged as being killed by British forces.

Fisher and Wright's appeals were dismissed in 1995, but the life review board has agreed to accelerate the judicial review after a successful application, based on the length of Thain's sentence, last December to the Northern Ireland Office. Its recommendation was then forwarded to Patrick Mayhew at the NIO.

On Thursday 6 February the following `early day' motion, signed by over 20 British MPs, was lodged at Westminster:

``That this house highlights the case of Scots Guardsmen Jim Fisher and Mark Wright, soldiers with exemplary records who, as a result of their actings, when acting to protect civilian personnel and interests whilst on duty in Northern Ireland at a time of high terrorist alert, were convicted by a Civil Court of murder; and notes that they have now served four and a half years of that sentence, longer, by over a year, than previous sentences served by soldiers similarly convicted for wrongful judgment, offer no threat to society and should be considered for release at an early date.''

  • Edinburgh PR firm is acting on behalf of the Scots Guards Fisher and Wright Release Group.

    In an article in the Irish News last week it was revealed that The PR Centre were being very selective in targeting their publicity.

    ``They don't want any coverage at all in Ireland,'' claimed a BBC Scotland source, who added: ``It is absolutely despicable - they are trying to suppress the debate.''

    When An Phoblacht contacted The PR Centre a spokeswomen denied blocking tactics. But she declared that her firm - which had previously been contracted to do ``good news'' work for the regiment - would be ``delighted'' if the Scots Guards were released. She refused to comment when asked if her firm thought either the McBride family or the nationalist commmunity of the north would be equally `delighted' at their release.

    Former Scots Guards Captain Ronnie Wilkie, who spoke of working his way through the ranks during 26 years in the regiment and having served over four `tours' in Ireland, then contacted An Phoblacht.

    Wilkie said those involved in the Fisher and Wright release group were all retired army officers and that the PR Centre was nothing more than a ``letter box'', not responsible for supplying the group's strategy.

    d while expressing sympathy for Jean McBride his group were simply interested in ``the natural justice'' of the case, he said.

    Questioned as to the difference between convictions for murder between Irish civilians and British soldiers he replied that his members were only interested in the Fisher and Wright case.

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