Shropshire Star comment: The slow and uncertain wheels of justice

Then came the peace process which ended the murder and the mayhem, bar the actions of a few dissidents.

For the victims, and the bereaved families, however, the peace process was not the end. For them the pain, loss, and misery, is something which will stay with them a lifetime.

See also:

• Justice at last for Shropshire victim of IRA Hyde Park bombing

They have felt forgotten, being expected to pay one of the prices of bringing peace, that of becoming reconciled to the killers of their loved ones being allowed their freedom.

The Hyde Park bombing of 1982 was a sickening low among many sickening lows of the IRA’s campaign. Mounted soldiers of the Household Cavalry were on their way to the changing of the guard when a bomb ripped through men and horses.

Four soldiers and seven horses died. Among the victims was Squadron Quartermaster Corporal (Corporal-Major) Roy Bright, aged 36, of Guest Road, Broseley.

He was carrying the regimental standard of the Blues and Royals on his horse Waterford, which also died.

It should also be remembered that two hours after the Hyde Park blast, a second bomb exploded under a bandstand two miles away in Regent’s Park, killing seven soldiers with the Royal Green Jackets band.

John Downey is, in criminal law, innocent of the Hyde Park bombing. His murder trial in 2014 collapsed when it emerged that he had been given a guarantee against prosecution.

So the daughter of one of the victims brought a civil action against him. And now a High Court ruling that Downey was an “active participant” in the bombing means that a damages claim can be brought against him.

While the IRA sought victory with bombs and bullets, this is a victory for the families carried by the wheels of justice. They have turned slowly and uncertainly. For the bereaved, this civil case brings a measure of satisfaction and closure. In countless other cases, justice has never caught up and now never will.