Kathleen Thompson inquest: Ex-soldier recalled to give evidence

Kathleen Thompson was killed outside her home in Creggan

A former soldier believed to have fired the shots that killed a Londonderry woman in 1971 has been recalled to give evidence to the resumed inquest.

Kathleen Thompson was shot dead in the garden of her Creggan home during an Army raid on 6 November 1971.

The former soldier, identified only as Soldier D, originally gave evidence when the inquest first began in 2018.

He testified to firing shots in the direction of where Ms Thompson was shot, claiming to have seen a gunman.

Soldier D was told he had been recalled to clear up some points that had arisen since his original appearance.

He was asked about the identity of several other soldiers who had served with him in the Royal Green Jackets regiment.

Soldier D told the inquest he could remember some of them but not if they were involved in the operation that resulted in Ms Thompson's death.

Karen Quinlivan QC, a barrister for Ms Thompson's family, asked Soldier D if he could recall that in his original evidence.

Soldier D said he could not remember who was on the operation in November 1971, nor could he help in identifying three soldiers known as A, B and C.

He was asked about the identity of specific soldiers and again said he knew some of them but not through involvement in the operation.

The witness said he could recall one particular soldier as he had taught him to drive a Ferret armoured car while he was serving in Derry.

'Are you serious?'

Soldier D was asked about several soldiers who had served with him on a training course and he told the inquest that he had been stood down from that course after the shooting of Ms Thompson.

Ms Quinlivan told the hearing on Wednesday that the former soldier had to be lying because he had, when giving evidence in March 2018, denied having been taken off that training course.

In response, Soldier D said he had not been stood down from the course but had been temporarily returned to his platoon while Military Police investigations were under way.

He said that he believed the training course "had simply forgotten about me".

When he repeated his claim that he had been forgotten about, Ms Quinlivan replied: "Are you serious?"

'Wall of silence'

She put it to Soldier D that regimental colleagues had erected a "wall of silence" to protect him because it was well known he had been involved in the shooting of Mrs Thompson.

"The best way to assist you was to say nothing and to pretend they didn't even know Kathleen Thompson had been shot," Ms Quinlivan said.

Soldier D denied this to be the case.

The inquest finished hearing evidence on Wednesday, with oral submissions dues in the case in September.

The coroner, Judge Sandra Crawford, indicated she wished to give a decision before the end of October.