Republican News · Thursday 14 August 2003

Ex-RIR soldier to seek compensation

BY ÁINE Ní BHRIAIN

unemployment tribunal in Belfast has found that a former British soldier was driven to attempt suicide after being subjected to a relentless campaign of sectarian abuse, threats and harassment by his Protestant collegues.

Private Patrick Murphy was born a Catholic in the Andersonstown area of West Belfast, but all that changed one day in 1996, when he signed up to serve with the Royal Irish Regiment in Portadown.

It was then that Murphy's recruiting sergeant suggested he change his name on the application forms for the "overwhelmingly Protestant" regiment, in an effort to hide his religion.

"He said it was in my own interests to change my name from Patrick," says Murphy, "because it would be known I was a Catholic and I would get a hard time."

Unfazed by this obvious tip-off to the true nature of the force, Murphy took the man's advice and changed his name from Patrick to Paul. He also stated his religion as Church of Ireland.

While training in Ballymena, sectarian and loyalist music was played in the regiment's sleeping quarters.

When his 'true identity' was later discovered by a Colour Sergeant, Murphy says he began getting comments of a sectarian nature directed towards him, such as "all Catholics should burn" and "fenian lying here".

He also claims he was referred to as a "sleeper" and a "taig" and that a lance corporal had flug his helmet into a park, remarking "go and get it you fenian bastard".

While this type of bigotry might be not be surprising to those familiar with the work and mindset of the RIR, for some reason Murphy was totally stunned by the abuse. He says he complained on a number of occasions, but no action was ever taken. Instead, his locker was smashed open and bullets and anti-Catholic notes were placed inside. Murphy says he took to sleeping in a Land Rover to avoid further abuse.

The situation came to a head in October 1998, when Murphy spoke to an army medical officer and told him he was suicidal. However, the MO did not consider the threat to be real, so the next day Murphy tried to take his own life by inhaling car exhaust fumes and downing a bunch of sleeping pills prescribed by the same MO.

Medical notes indicate Murphy would have died had his wife not found him. In the aftermath, his commanding officer did not bother to visit him in hospital, in spite of the fact that Murphy was clearly in crisis and under the officer's charge.

In November 1998, the army doctor had another consultation with Murphy, but the tribunal was told the notes for this could not be found. "It was suggested... they had either fallen out of the medical folder or had been eaten", the court heard.

The MoD, meanwhile, claimed that Murphy faked the suicide attempt because he wanted out of the RIR. They denied unlawful discrimination on the grounds of religious belief or political opinion and claimed that Murphy was unreliable.

"He just didn't like the hours and didn't like the work," said counsel for the MoD in court.

After his brush with death, Murphy was transferred to Ballykinlar, Co Down, where Corporal William Thompson was also stationed. Thompson had been jailed in 2001 for storing arms for unionist paramilitaries. His trial judge said the PSNI had found materials in his home that "made the blood run cold", including documents produced by the right wing neo-nazi group Combat 18. Thompson got an exemplary discharge from the RIR in 1999.

Although the British Army adopted equal opportunities guidelines in 1998 - to ensure that there would be no bullying, no harassment or discrimination against soldiers for any reason - the tribunal found that "a less than neutral environment was tolerated". Rangers shirts were worn and sectarian banter tolerated.

The tribunal, which announced its decision on Friday, 1 August, criticised senior army officers for failing to deal with Murphy's complaints, stating, "while they all professed to take such sectarian problems seriously, their actions belied their words".

Murphy's solicitor says her client will now seek compensation from the MoD.

The RIR, or as it was formerly known the UDR, has long been recognised as a unionist militia.

During the 1980s, over 120 UDR members were convicted of a wide range of crimes, including murder and supplying personal information of nationalists to unionist paramilitaries.

Sinn Féin representative for Upper Bann, Dara O'Hagan, says Murphy's case "shows again the truly bigoted nature of this discredited force".

"The RIR is first and foremost a unionist militia," said O'Hagan, "this case confirms what nationalists and republicans already know. The sectarian abuse this man suffered stemmed from a Major in his regiment down.

"Many nationalists - victims of the UDR and RIR - will want to know whether Mr. Trimble and his allies still want to retain this force in the aftermath of these public revelations. The RIR are synonymous with sectarian violence. Many members are also members of unionist paramilitary gangs, up to their necks in collusion, and the murder of Catholics. Conflict resolution inevitably involves the removal of the RIR."

If only O'Hagan had been there to counsel Murphy before he dandered out of Belfast to join the British Army in the first place.