Press Release by the McGreanery Family

Press Statement from the family of Billy McGreanery (RIP 1971), PFC, & KRW Law 

Today the family of Billy McGreanery have accepted a significant financial settlement in respect of the death of their uncle. 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, Derry, late in the evening of 14th September 1971. He underwent surgery at Altnagelvin hospital and died approximately 4 hours later, during the early hours of Wednesday, 15 September 1971. He was 41 years old at the time of his death.

In 2013, following a public apology from the Minister for the Armed Forces, Andrew Robathan on behalf of the MOD & British Army, KRW Law wrote to the Attorney General seeking a new inquest. KRW engaged in lengthy correspondence with the AG’s office, and in 2017 the AG confirmed that he had referred the case to the PPS who then directed the PSNI to carry out a number of enquiries. LIB undertook a review of the case, before commencing a full investigation.

On 29th April this year the PPS took the decision not to prosecute Soldier A in relation to Billy’s death. The family have asked for a review of this decision and await the outcome. A day later, on 30th April 2024, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland directed a fresh inquest into the circumstances of Billy’s death. This came just 24 hours before the 01 May deadline imposed by the Legacy Act that halted all legacy inquests.

Billy McGreanery, nephew of Billy McGreanery, said: “In my opinion, today the Ministry of Defence have made a financial retribution for the death, pain, anguish and sorrow they have inflected on our family. I liken this process to a three-course meal that we fought very hard for and earned. The starter was the apologies for the wrongful killing of Billy, and today is the dessert, financial retribution. But they skipped the ‘Main Course’ – Justice, which we have hungered for 53 years, and for which we can only hope. The PPS review puts the justice we crave firmly on the plate, and only a prosecution will satisfy our need for the justice we rightly deserve.”

Gary Duffy, Solicitor for the McGreanery family said: “Today’s settlement is a long overdue, but nevertheless, welcome endorsement of the family’s campaign to uncover the truth around this unjustified and unjustifiable killing by a soldier in the British army. This case highlights the value and merit of such legacy civil actions in truth recovery and obtaining justice. Furthermore, it exemplifies the need to move beyond the Legacy Act and its bar to prosecutions and inquests. We look forward to the reinstatement of the family’s inquest and for a decision on the prosecution of the soldier who shot and killed Billy.

Sara Duddy from the Pat Finucane Centre: “Over a decade ago both the British government and the Ministry of Defence apologised to the family of Billy McGreanery following a review by the HET that found that their uncle was unarmed and posed no threat when Soldier A shot and killed him back in 1971. Today’s settlement is another acknowledgement for the wrong done that day and is welcomed by the McGreanery family. However, the real justice would be for Soldier A to be held to account for his actions, and for the PPS now to reverse the decision not to prosecute. We also have concerns that if the prosecution does not move forward, the family will also be denied the inquest they were granted by the Attorney General so close to the Legacy Act deadline. The Secretary of State has been ambiguous in his commitment to reinstate ALL legacy inquest, prioritising those that were prematurely halted without assurances that those granted more recently will also go ahead. Families will not accept the discredited ICRIR as any type of substitute.”