Inquest into death of 10-year-old told of moment soldier fired plastic bullet

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

A witness has told a coroner’s court that he saw a soldier fire a plastic bullet on the evening that a 10-year-old boy suffered fatal injuries in west Belfast in 1975.

The second day of the inquest into the death of Stephen Geddis heard from a number of civilian witnesses who described the situation in the Divis complex on the evening of August 29.

A witness has told a coroner’s court that he saw a soldier fire a plastic bullet on the evening that a 10-year-old boy suffered fatal injuries in west Belfast in 1975.https://t.co/YZ5IxDOw9b

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Stephen died after suffering a head injury while near a civilian barricade erected in the Albert Street/Cullingtree Road area. The inquest has already heard that pathology evidence suggests his injury was caused by the discharge of a plastic baton round.

The legacy inquest, the second into Stephen’s death, is one of a number ordered by former Northern Ireland attorney general John Larkin.

Anthony Sloan, who was 14 at the time, told the hearing that he was on a balcony in the flats complex when he saw a soldier raise a baton gun and fire a shot.

A statement from Mr Sloan said: “I recall seeing about 25 to 30 kids, all around my age. It was still fairly bright. I clearly recall seeing an army Saracen, a four-wheeler known as the Pig, driving along Albert Street.

“I can clearly recall seeing the back doors of the Pig open, and either two or three soldiers jumped out of the back. I saw them run across the end of St Jude’s Path. A soldier raised his baton gun and fired a single plastic bullet.

“I had a clear view of the soldier. The soldier was right at the corner of St Jude’s Path when he fired an aimed shot.”

Mr Sloan’s statement said he then walked down to the spot where a young boy was lying on the ground.

He said: “I walked down to where the ambulance was parked. I saw Stephen Geddis. A man was carrying Stephen over to the ambulance. Stephen was crying and the man was saying ‘Stay awake, stay awake’.”

Counsel for the coroner Frank O’Donogue asked Mr Sloan if he had seen Stephen throwing stones or using a catapult before he was injured. Mr Sloan said he had not.

Witness Robert Russell told the court: “I clearly recall a soldier standing, aiming a weapon in the direction where Stephen was standing.

“I would have heard the shot but I did not see it being fired. The image of the soldier standing aiming the weapon has stuck in my mind forever.”

Another witness, Martin Hughes, told the hearing that he had lifted Stephen from the ground after he was injured.

He said: “I recall hearing a bang. I looked over and one of the two soldiers was carrying a plastic bullet gun, he was holding the gun in the aim position. I then saw Stephen lying on Albert Street on the road.

“I ran over and lifted Stephen. I saw the crowd starting to gather round him and I lifted him up.”

The hearing also heard a statement from Brenda Boyce, who lived in the Divis complex in 1975. It said that she had returned home on the evening of August 29 and Stephen had been placed on the sofa in her front room

Her statement said: “The house was full of people who were in a state of panic. In the living room I saw a boy younger than myself lying on the settee.

“The boy was unconscious and his head was very swollen and the left side of his face was a dark blue colour. The boy’s head was larger than the size of one of the scatter cushions on the settee.”

The inquest at Banbridge Courthouse is being heard by coroner Paddy McGurgan.

It has previously heard that three soldiers from B Company of the Second Royal Anglian Regiment – referred to as SGM3, SGM15 and SGM12 – who were on patrol in west Belfast on the evening of August 29, 1975 will be called as witnesses.

(Stephen Geddis died in 1975)