Blood Sunday: Man Shot in Chest Awarded £350,000 Compensation

A man shot in the chest by a British soldier as he ran to safety on Bloody Sunday is to receive £350,000 compensation. Joe Friel, 68, claimed for injuries and false allegations at the High Court. It was claimed he had been an armed terrorist when paratroopers opened fire in Londonderry in January 1972. His lawyers described it as a “blatant, malicious and outrageous lie” which persisted until he was publicly exonerated more than 40 years later. The payout also covers Mr Friel’s loss of earnings after he was forced to retire early from his job as a tax official due to deteriorating health. Mr Justice McAlinden expressed hope that the resolution in the action against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will enable the father of three to obtain some degree of closure. In 2010 the Saville Inquiry into the shootings established the innocence of all of the victims. Those findings led to David Cameron, the then British prime minister, issuing a public apology for the soldiers’ actions. He described the killings as “unjustified and unjustifiable”.

Nearly £3 million has now been paid out in a series of settlements and awards made in claims against the MoD on behalf of those bereaved or injured. With liability accepted in all cases, proceedings brought by Mr Friel centred on the level of damages.

 Read more: BBC News, https://is.gd/6NEwIl