{"id":11764,"date":"2021-10-20T22:19:42","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T16:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/?p=11764"},"modified":"2021-10-20T22:19:49","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T16:49:49","slug":"dennis-hutchings-former-army-veteran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/?p=11764","title":{"rendered":"Dennis Hutchings, Former Army Veteran"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Dennis Hutchings, Former Army Veteran<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dennis Hutchings was three days into hearing in Belfast for 1974 killing when he died from Covid on Monday. The lawyer of a terminally ill 80-year-old army veteran who died of Covid-19 three days into a trial over a shooting during the Troubles in\u00a0Northern Ireland\u00a0has said in a statement that the proceedings contributed to his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trial at Belfast crown court had been adjourned on Monday after it was known that Hutchings \u2013 who had kidney disease, was on dialysis and also suffered heart problems \u2013 had contracted the coronavirus over the weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following his isolation at his hotel room — he was taken to hospital and died on Monday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philip Barden, who acted for Dennis Hutchings, said he would be \u201calive today\u201d had it not been imposed on him to go to Northern Ireland to stand trial over the killing of a 27-year-old man with learning difficulties in 1974.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barden, who was with him when he died, said: \u201cNobody cared, that\u2019s what is so sad. Nobody cared about putting a man who is 80 years old on trial in these circumstances. They knew of his health conditions and that\u2019s what is so wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Pat Cunningham was shot in the back as he ran from an army patrol in a field near Benburb 47 years ago. The Northern Ireland prosecution service said the decision to bring the soldier to trial was in the public interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trial has revived the controversy over the government\u2019s plans to offer an amnesty for historical crimes involving veterans and some think the death of Hutchings may hasten its progress through parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, The deputy director of public prosecutions in Northern Ireland, Michael Agnew, said the decision to prosecute was \u201ctaken after an impartial and independent application of the test for prosecution\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhilst a review of a previous no prosecution decision does not require the existence of new evidence, the police investigation in this case resulted in a file being submitted to the PPS, which included certain evidence not previously available,\u201d Agnew added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement on behalf of the family of Cunningham, the Pat Finucane Centre, a human rights group, said they wanted \u201cto acknowledge that this is a difficult time for [Hutchings\u2019] family and that they should be given time to grieve\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They mentioned they would put out a detailed response at a more appropriate time but it was \u201cfactually inaccurate to allege that this prosecution was politically motivated and part of a fictitious \u2018witch-hunt\u2019 against British soldiers. This claim by senior politicians impugns the professional integrity, independence and impartiality of those involved in the recent investigation and prosecution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also included that parts of the British press and within unionism that had commented that the victim was an Irish Catholic distracted from the truth of the case, which was that he was an innocent victim. \u201cShame on them,\u201d said the statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The court had heard that Cunningham had \u201cbeen born with an incomplete development of the mind\u201d and was \u201csaid to have the mind of a seven-year-old\u201d. He was known to be \u201canxious around men in uniforms, and was known to have run from army, police and priests\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Democratic Unionist party leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, said \u201cserious questions need to be raised\u201d about the decision to prosecute, adding Hutchings had been \u201cdragged to a court and hounded until his death\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ulster Unionist party leader, Doug Beattie, called for an independent review of the prosecution, questioning whether the trial had hastened Hutchings\u2019 death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too late for me [not to face trial] but it\u2019s not too late for the government to do the right thing for all those veterans who served to maintain peace in Northern Ireland and who continue to live in fear of a knock on the door. But if the government won\u2019t act or listen to the veterans and the British people, then I hope Strasbourg will,\u201d Hutchings said at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Conservative MP Johnny Mercer, who has campaigned against prosecutions for legacy killings and travelled to Belfast to support the former soldier, had called the trial a \u201cgrotesque experience\u201d for Hutchings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prime minister\u2019s official spokesperson said: \u201cOur sincere condolences go to the family, friends and loved ones of Dennis Hutchings. The Ministry of Defence supported Mr Hutchings throughout his trial with legal representation and pastoral care, and that will continue to be offered to his family.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dennis Hutchings was three days into hearing in Belfast for 1974 killing when he died from Covid on Monday. The lawyer of a terminally ill 80-year-old army veteran who died of Covid-19 three days into a trial over a shooting during the Troubles in Northern Ireland has said in a statement that the proceedings contributed to his death.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":11766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[46,13],"tags":[8709,8710,8708,8707],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Dennis-Hutchings.jpg?fit=620%2C408&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":651,"url":"https:\/\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/?p=651","url_meta":{"origin":11764,"position":0},"title":"Dr Dennis Ramon Tudtud, Philippines","date":"May 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Dr Dennis Ramon Tudtud, Oncologist, Cebu, Philippines The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) claimed the life of a Cebuano oncologist Dr. Dennis Ramon Tudtud in the Philippines. Dennis Thomas Tudtud confirmed the death of his father through a Facebook post early morning on March 31, 2020. Dr. Tudtud\u2019s death came days after\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Medics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Dr-Dennis-Ramon-Tudtud.jpg?fit=800%2C609&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":633,"url":"https:\/\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/?p=633","url_meta":{"origin":11764,"position":1},"title":"Ali Dennis Guillermo, United States","date":"May 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Ali Dennis Guillermo, a nurse at Long Island Community Hospital, died on April 7 after contracting Covid-19. He was hailed as a selfless father and compassionate health care provider. Guillermo, 44, of East Patchogue, came to Long Island from the Philippines in 2004 to provide a better upbringing for his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Medics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Ali-Dennis-Guillermo.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2393,"url":"https:\/\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/?p=2393","url_meta":{"origin":11764,"position":2},"title":"Dennis Gail Peters, electrochemist","date":"April 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Dennis Gail Peters an analytical chemist who specialized in electrochemistry and was named the Herman T. Briscoe Professor at Indiana University in 1975 died of hospital-acquired coronavirus disease 2019 on 13 April 2020. Peters led his own research group at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana until his death in 2020.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Medics"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3371,"url":"https:\/\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/?p=3371","url_meta":{"origin":11764,"position":3},"title":"Ted Monette, militaryman","date":"March 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Theodore A. Monette Jr. \u2011 an American army colonel who had served as FEMA director of the Office of Federal Coordinating Officer Operations \u2013 died on March 30, 2020 due to Covid-19. \u00a0 Monette was a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He joined the Federal Emergency Management\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "High Profilers"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1522,"url":"https:\/\/personmatters.com\/Remembering_Covid_19_Victims\/?p=1522","url_meta":{"origin":11764,"position":4},"title":"James M. Cross, Ice hockey player & coach","date":"May 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"James M. Cross an American ice hockey player and coach who led the Vermont Catamounts of the University of Vermont for nineteen seasons died in Georgia of complications of COVID-19 on May 2, 2020, at age 87. 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