Army veteran Dennis Hutchings, 80, died last week after catching Covid-19 midway through his controversial trial for a fatal Troubles shooting almost 50 years ago
It has been confirmed that the funeral of Dennis Hutchings, a veteran of Northern Ireland, will be held on Armistice Day next year.
The service will be held at St Andrew’s Church, Plymouth, on November 11. A large turnout is expected.
Andrew Barry, a friend and fellow Northern Ireland veteran, said to the newspaper that there was no better day for this funeral.
“I believe Dennis should have a funeral with full military honors.”
Dennis Hutchings, 80, was suffering from terminal kidney failure and heart disease when he flew to Belfast this month to face a judge-only trial, but said he was determined to clear his name over the alleged attempted murder of John Pat Cunningham in County Tyrone in 1974.
Last Monday, he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance after complaining that he was struggling to breathe. His condition worsened, and he eventually died from coronavirus.
His case was one among two ongoing prosecutions of Northern Ireland veterans serving during the Troubles, despite government plans to end all civil and criminal cases relating to deaths during the 30-year conflict.
These proposals are still to be implemented and have been met with fierce opposition from both sides of Northern Ireland’s political divide.
The funeral of Mr Hutchings will be held at St Andrew’s Church, Plymouth, on November 11.
Friends of Mr Hutchings asked for full military honors to be given to him when he is buried next month. Pictured: Wreaths laid at the Cenotaph on Armistice Day
Philip Barden was Mr Hutchings’s solicitor. He said that the rigour involved in forcing the army veteran to face trial had ‘killed his’, The Telegraph reported.
Three days prior to the trial, he was having trouble breathing. However, he told The Times that he wanted his name to be cleared. When asked if his health was sufficient to fly, the man replied that he didn’t know until he could get on the plane.
Boris Johnson and his government were already embarrassed by the sight of a dying veteran sitting on a Belfast dock wearing his service medals. They had previously promised to end all investigations into Northern Ireland veterans.
However, the death of Mr Hutchings sparked further criticism about why the trial was allowed.
Paul Young, a former Blues and Royals soldier, is now working with Justice for Northern Ireland Veterans. He said that it was an absolute disgrace. This frail, old, and sick man was harassed to his grave, but he couldn’t clear his name.
“He was determined to be in court. The justice system was insatiable and wanted to cut his hair, but he died as a lonely old man in a Covid prison.
After complaining that he was having trouble breathing, Mr Hutchings caught Covid. He was then rushed to hospital by an ambulance. Right: Hutchings in dress uniform at Knightsbridge Barracks, 1978
Hutchings was greeted at the Belfast Crown court by a supporter on October 4, 2021
Hutchings was suffering from kidney disease. The court had been sitting only three times a week to allow him to receive dialysis treatment in between hearings.
He was charged in 1974 with the attempted murder John Pat Cunningham in Co Tyrone.
The former Life Guards member, Cawsand in Cornwall had denied a count attempting grievous bodily harm with intention.
Mr Cunningham, 27, was run away from an Army Patrol in a field close to Benburb. He was shot and killed. People who knew him described him as having the mental age of a child, and he was well-known for his deep fear of soldiers.
Critics of plans to prosecute Northern Ireland veterans cite the alleged hounding soldiers who served in the province. Meanwhile, IRA terrorists were freed early from prison or told that they would not face prosecution for Troubles-related offenses following the signing the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Dennis Hutchings, (pictured at the far right in this photograph) in Germany 1960
Kim Hutchings, his partner of 25-years, and John, were present in court to support him. However, the pair returned to England after his trial was delayed due to his Covid diagnosis.
On June 15, 1974, Mr Cunningham, a 27 year-old man with learning difficulties, was killed in an Army operation near Benburb. Mr Hutchings claimed that he only fired warning shots into the air.
The trial heard from prosecutors that they were unable to prove whether Mr Hutchings fired the fatal shots or another soldier who is now deceased because no forensic evidence had been collected.
He was in the Life Guards and had pleaded not guilty for the attempted murder. He also denied a count for attempted grievous bodily injury with intent.