Family of Patrick Crawford say they finally have justice
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The sister of Patrick Crawford has said the family finally have justice almost half a century after the schoolboy was shot dead.
A coroner found on Monday that an unidentified British Army soldier was responsible “more likely than not” for the fatal shooting of the 15-year-old in the grounds of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast in August 1975.
Judge Philip Gilpin also said the victim “was an innocent 15-year-old boy not involved in any suspect activity at the time he was shot”.
Maggie Crawford, Patrick’s sister, was at Belfast’s Laganside Courthouse to hear the coroner’s findings.
She said: “We welcome the coroner’s findings in relation to the fatal shooting of our brother Patrick today.
“Our father died in 2006 without the benefit of knowing the truth about what happened to his son.
“We always believed that our Paddy was shot by a member of the British Army for no reason.
“He was afraid and nervous when he asked if he could walk with two women through the grounds of the Royal (hospital) to get home.
“The coroner has agreed with our view today.”
Ms Crawford said she could not express how much the coroner’s findings mean to the family.
She added: “We have been fighting for justice and information for 49 years. We finally have it.
“The family would like to thank the coroner, the coroner’s staff and our legal team for the efforts devoted to getting to the truth.
“We finally have justice for Paddy.”
Patricia Coyle, solicitor for the Crawford family, said it was a “very significant verdict”.
She said: “This verdict goes to the core issue of the need for independent, judicial and public inquests into contested killings in Northern Ireland where they involve the State.
“The requirement for meticulous and scrupulous judicial examination of forensic, ballistic and eye witness evidence in such cases is critical.
“The public mechanism of the inquests is essential to the correction of the public record.
“That was particularly so in this case.
“The value of the process to the next of kin is limitless and cannot be understated.
“The family of Master Patrick Crawford thank the coroner for the comprehensive verdict today which supports their long-held belief that their young brother was killed by the British Army.”