Civil cases brought by two men injured at Ballymurphy settled

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

Civil cases brought against the UK's Ministry of Defence by two men injured in the Ballymurphy massacre in Belfast in 1971 have been settled with undisclosed damages to be paid.

At the High Court in Belfast, Mr Justice Humphreys was told that terms in the cases taken by Bobby Clarke and Joseph Millen had been agreed by both sides.

The amounts paid out in each case were not disclosed in court but the judge ordered the Ministry to pay legal costs.

In 2021, an inquest concluded that 10 people who died at Ballymurphy were innocent victims. The Army was found to be responsible for nine of the 10 deaths with not enough evidence to determine who fired the shot which killed the tenth victim.

Last year, compensation cases brought by the families of nine people killed were settled.

The latest cases brought by two men injured have now also been settled.

The judge said: “Congratulations to the parties on reaching settlements on those actions.

“I know that a long period of time has elapsed which doesn’t make it any easier for the parties to resolve these actions.”

Mr Clarke was shot and wounded on August 9 1971 as he was helping families with children leave their homes in Springfield Park after the area had come under attack from crowds in the nearby Springmartin area.

Joseph Millen was hit by a bullet just below his right shoulder blade which passed through his back and out of his left side.

He lay on waste ground afterwards for around two hours while the shooting went on before he was able to be taken to hospital.