Manus Deery was “totally innocent” – Coroner

 

 
A coroner has said 15 year old Manus Deery, who was shot dead by the British Army in May 1972, was “totally innocent”, and posed no threat.
He was eating chips with a group of teenage friends when he was shot in the head by a soldier from a sentry post on the city’s walls. The soldier who fired the shot claimed he was firing at an armed gunman, but no evidence of a gunman has ever emerged.
The soldier has since died.

In November, a PSNI and Department of Defence barrister acknowledged that Manus Deery was innocent, was not carrying a weapon and that his killing breached guidelines.
Today, Coroner, Mr Justice Adrian Colton, said the teenager’s character has been fully vindicated, and also determined he was not a member of any illegal organisation.