Bloody Sunday court delays ‘Britain’s fault’

The British government has been ordered to pay more than £40,000 in interest it tried to withhold from the family of a Bloody Sunday victim, almost certainly shot by Soldier F, by blaming them for delays in a case that dragged on for almost 12 years, it can be revealed. A High Court judge threw out the application, which rested on a claim that the Ministry of Defence later admitted was wrong. Most commented 1 Starlink deliberately slowed in Ukraine, says Zelensky Russia-Ukraine war 1,073 comments 2 Katie Zacharia departs as Trump’s press secretary after less than a week US politics 690 comments 3 Hundreds of British troops to rehearse Ukraine mission Politics 310 comments 4 Scotland plane crash: boy, 16, and man, 80, killed Scotland 48 comments 5 All Blacks leave Australia chasing shadows in dazzling first half Rugby union 29 comments Mr Justice Rooney found the department had failed to show the family of Daniel McGowan were to blame and that the record pointed instead to delay on its own side. The MoD has been ordered to pay the family’s costs of the application. Ireland newsletter Our best in-depth reads, exclusive features, news and a note from our editors in Ireland. Sign up with one click You’ve successfully signed up to the Ireland newsletter Explore our newsletters An error occurred. Please use the link below. Ireland newsletter Explore our newsletters McGowan, a father of nine, was 37 when he was shot in the leg near the Rossville Flats in Derry on January 30, 1972. The Saville inquiry into the shootings found it “highly probable” that Soldier F fired the shot. McGowan died in 2004. Soldier F, who has never been named, was not prosecuted over the shooting. Last year he was acquitted of the murders of two other men on Bloody Sunday. Top stories 1 US inflation hotter than expected as Iran war stokes fuel costs Economics In April the High Court awarded McGowan’s estate £275,000, including £175,000 in general and aggravated damages. The family had begun the case in 2014. Advertisement Immediately after the judgment was delivered, the MoD’s barrister applied to have the interest cut, arguing the family were responsible for the delay. The judge said in a ruling that the family’s counsel had been “caught by surprise”. The judge added that it appeared no such application had been made in any previous Bloody Sunday case . McGowan’s was the last of 31 Bloody Sunday compensation claims. Top stories 1 Theo Paphitis: I bought a £100m business for £1 and two packs of Benson & Hedges Family Finances 2 Premium Bonds are fun – until you realise what they are costing you Saving & Investing 3 Will Lyons: my vintage wine tour of South Australia Inspiration Rejecting the application, the judge said the MoD had “failed to convince me” the family were responsible for the delay. In a ruling last month, he ordered interest of 2 per cent a year from 2014. A 12-year investigation into Bloody Sunday found there was no justification for the shooting of protesters PA Fearghal Shiels of Madden & Finucane, the family’s solicitor, said: “The defendant should in our view have quietly withdrawn the application but declined to do so, leaving the court with little option to reject the submission.” The MoD said: “We respect the court’s judgment in the McGowan case. “The department made a number of submissions in order to gain clarity on the application of interest payments in relation to the case. This aligns with our duty to protect taxpayers’ money.”