NI: Family of teenager murdered in 1973 to sue Ministry of Defence over stolen gun
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Kevin Winters
The family of a teenager who was murdered by loyalists in 1973 have launched a lawsuit against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for alleged misfeasance in public office and negligence.
Henry Cunningham, from Co Donegal, was shot dead at 16 years old following a UVF ambush in August 1973.
A report by the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) in 2008 said that one of the weapons used in the killing was stolen from an Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) base in Lurgan.
Mr Cunningham’s family are now suing the MoD for allegedly failing to take action despite being aware that guns under its control were being lost or stolen, The Irish News reports.
Solicitor Kevin Winters of KRW Law, representing the family, said: “Without documents families alleging state collusion can’t begin to get any form of justice for their loved ones.
“Today is the first step for the Cunningham family to get discovery of MoD material that will hopefully provide answers to the killing of their brother nearly half a century ago.”
Paul O’Connor from the Pat Finucane Centre, which is supporting the Cunninghams in taking the case, added: “This family is taking a challenge to the massive failure of the Ministry of Defence’s duty of care to keep their weapons safe.”
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