PRESS RELEASE
INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF MASTER PATRICK CRAWFORD (15) KILLED ON 10TH AUGUST 1975 AT RVH
PRELIMINARY HEARING 22ND JUNE
ISSUED BY HARTE COYLE COLLINS, SOLICITORS & ADVOCATES
21ST JUNE 2023
A Preliminary Hearing of the inquest into the death of Patrick Crawford (15) shot dead in the grounds of the Royal Victoria Hospital on the 10th of August 1975, will take place in Laganside Courthouse tomorrow in advance of the anticipated Legacy Bill next week.
The fifteen-year-old teenager was killed by a single shot to the chest while walking through the grounds of the Royal Victoria Hospital in August 1975. Two women, Mrs. Kathleen Faloon, and Mrs. Annie Miskimmon, who were walking with him at the time of the fatal shooting, gave evidence at the original inquest in December 1979 that the youth was unarmed and had asked to accompany them from the Grosvenor Road to the Falls Road because he was afraid. The family of Patrick Crawford believe that he was shot dead by the army in the RVH with a high velocity shot.
The Coroner, Judge Gilpin opened the inquest in March 2022 and heard evidence including statements of evidence from family members before adjourning the inquest to hear evidence from pathology and ballistic experts as well as other civilian and any military witness evidence once full disclosure had been provided by the MOD, PSNI and other state agencies.
In 2021, before the inquest opened the coroner had directed that the Ministry of Defence and PSNI identify and trace potential military and police witnesses. At an earlier Preliminary Hearing this year the MOD submitted to the court that a list of over 600 potential military witnesses had been collated. The coroner directed that work to trace and identify military witnesses should be expedited. He also directed in 2021 that all radio logs and any other relevant documents in relation to the army presence in the Royal be disclosed to the court and next of kin representatives as soon as possible.
Having fought for years to obtain the fresh inquest in 2015, the family of Patrick Crawford are committed to the completion of the inquest into the death of their brother. The family have asked that any witnesses having any information which might assist the inquest process contact their solicitor Patricia Coyle of Harte Coyle Collins as soon as possible.
Contact
Patricia Coyle
Harte Coyle Collins
9-15 Queen Street
Belfast
BT1 6EA
02890 278227
