Prime Minister says Dennis Hutchings case was 'tragic'

By Q Radio News

The Prime Minister has said he wants to bring an end to the cycle where people are being brought to court for offences relating to Northern Ireland’s Troubles with “no new evidence”.

Army veteran Dennis Hutchings died in Belfast this week after contracting Covid-19 while on trial over a 1974 Troubles shooting. In July, the Government announced plans for a statute of limitations that would end all prosecutions for Troubles incidents up to April 1998.

Boris Johnson said: “I thought the case of Dennis Hutchings was really tragic and I felt very, very sad for him and for all his family because this is the issue that we have been trying to address.

“Now, this particular case started before this Government came in, so no matter what we did we wouldn’t have been able to stop that one. But what we want to do is to try to tell the story of what has happened in the Troubles and to try to bring as much reconciliation and understanding as possible.

“But to bring an end to the endless cycle by which people are being brought to court with no new evidence for things that have been tried and heard many, many years ago.

“That is the thing that I think people want to end and we want to find a solution that brings people together, allows people to grieve, but also allows people to move on.”