Amnesty is a slap in face for family of first UDR man killed in Troubles

Private William Donnell from Urney, near Strabane, was killed while manning a UDR checkpoint near Clady.

Stevan Patterson from Castlederg, whose late uncle Billy Donnell was a brother of 22-year-old Winston Donnell, said the government’s proposed Troubles amnesty was a slap in the face for victims’ families.

Stevan said: “To give what is in effect an amnesty to all those who killed and maimed is a betrayal of all the people of Northern Ireland quietly waiting for the justice they and their loved ones deserve.

“This illogical, misguided attempt to corrupt the judicial process and deny the possibility of justice in the future, no matter how long it may take, must be opposed and is a slap in the face for all the government promises of the past by the common phrase to ‘leave no stone unturned’ in the search for justice after a murder or attack.”

Winston Donnell was among the first recruits to join the Ulster Defence Regiment.

On August 9, 1971 two shots were fired in the direction of a patrol and vehicle checkpoint Private Donnell and his UDR comrades were manning at the outskirts of Claudy, Co Tyrone.

While investigating the first attack up to 30 shots were fired with a Thompson submachinegun killing Private Donnell instantly. His funeral was attended by NI Prime Minister Brian Faulkner.

Stevan said: “To this day Winston’s murder, like so many others remains unsolved and although it may now be 50 years, the right to justice as promised for those like Winston must never be given away as the Government at Westminster intends to do.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Acting Editor