THE family of John Pat Cunningham have called on Northern Ireland Secretary of State Shailesh Vara and the Ministry of Defence to intervene and remove a memorial erected in the grounds of Palace Barracks to a former British soldier charged with his attempted murder.

Dennis Hutchings died in 2021 while on trial for shooting and killing Mr Cunningham, who had a learning disability, in Benburb, Co Tyrone in June 1974.

This week a plaque was erected in Palace Barracks to Mr Hutchings.

In a statement issued by the Pat Finucane Centre today, the family have called for the removal of the memorial based on several points and said that the custodian of the garden has clarified that it is reserved for service personnel who were killed in the course of duty. Dennis Hutchings died of natural causes.

“How do other veterans and the family of Soldier B (H.M) feel about Hutchings blaming a dead comrade (for the killing)?" the family ask.

John Pat Cunningham
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John Pat Cunningham

"Do the family of H.M know? Hutchings’ family should place the memorial stone as they see fit in Cornwall and they can be left to grieve. For our part we are unable to find peace because of this provocation. It is an affront to us for this memorial to be situated in a British army base on Irish soil. We had no wish to revisit this traumatic event but have been left with no alternative because of the callousness of others. Secretary of State remove this stone.”

John Pat Cunningham was shot in the back and killed by British soldiers of the Life Guard Regiment in fields near his home at Benburb, County Armagh, on Saturday 15 June 1974. He was unarmed.

John Pat was 27-years-old and would be described today as a vulnerable adult.  He had a learning disability and also had a fear of men in uniforms. 

A year before the shooting, his GP came upon John Pat taking refuge from British soldiers in a ditch, who were poised to arrest him. The GP made representations to the British Army and the RUC locally at the time about John Pat’s fear of men in uniforms.

Mr Hutchings was arrested for the killing of John Pat in April 2015 and died of natural causes during the trial in 2021.