Trial of British army veteran Dennis Hutchings over Troubles death to begin

ireland
Trial Of British Army Veteran Dennis Hutchings Over Troubles Death To Begin
Dennis Hutchings, © PA Archive/PA Images
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By David Young, PA

The trial of a British army veteran on charges related to a fatal shooting in Northern Ireland during the Troubles is set to begin.

Dennis Hutchings, 80, a former member of the Life Guards regiment, has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of John Pat Cunningham in Co Tyrone in 1974. He also denies a count of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.

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Mr Cunningham, a 27-year-old man with learning difficulties, was shot dead as he ran away from an army patrol near Benburb.

Mr Hutchings, from Cawsand in Cornwall, is a high profile campaigner against the prosecution of military veterans who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

Dennis Hutchings court case
Dennis Hutchings, left, has been at the forefront of a campaign calling for an end to prosecutions of veterans who served during the Troubles (PA)

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The pensioner is suffering from kidney disease and the trial at Belfast Crown Court will only sit three days a week to enable him to undergo dialysis treatment between hearings.

In 2019, Mr Hutchings lost a Supreme Court bid to have the trial heard by a jury.

The non-jury trial in Belfast will be presided over by Mr Justice O’Hara.

It had originally been scheduled to commence in March 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The trial is taking place amid ongoing political controversy over UK government plans to end any future prosecutions related to the Troubles.

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