Ballymurphy inquest: Three soldiers to give evidence over 1971 Belfast shootings

Three soldiers have been called to give evidence into the deaths of 10 people in Belfast 47 years ago.

An inquest into the Ballymurphy shootings in August 1971 heard that the deaths were the result of "illegitimate, unjustified and indiscriminate use of force by the army".

Operation Demetrius - the internment of IRA suspects without trial - had just begun when members of the Parachute Regiment were deployed to Ballymurphy in west Belfast.

Over the course of the next three days, the deaths of 10 people who were fatally wounded in five separate incidents will be investigated - nearly half a century later.

Sean Doran QC, counsel for the coroner's service, told the court in Belfast: "The narrative of the military is legitimate use of force was used at a time of heightened tension and response to specific threat".

He said that ran contrary to the view of the Ballymurphy families who believe the deaths resulted from "illegitimate, unjustified and indiscriminate use of force by the army on civilians."

The dead included a Catholic priest - Father Hugh Mullan - and Joan Connolly, a mother of eight children.

Arriving for the inquest, Briege Voyle, one of Mrs Connolly's daughters, said: "People have accused us of trying to re-write history. We're not.

"My mother would have been 90 if she'd have been still alive and if my great-grandchildren were to read the history books, they're saying my mummy was a gunwoman and that is lies, 100% lies."

At the time, the army claimed they had come under gun attack and that the dead had been armed but no one has ever produced forensic evidence to support that allegation.

Padraig O Muirigh, a lawyer for some of the families, said: "In the days after the deaths of the loved ones, the next casualty was the truth.

"They were branded gunmen and gunwomen and they've always maintained their innocence and this inquest will hear evidence and I'm confident that their loved ones' names will be cleared by this court in the coming months."

The court heard that a cursory reading of police reports from the three days in question reveal widespread disorder.

In Belfast alone, they list 12 explosions, 59 shootings, 17 reported deaths, 25 reported injuries, 13 incidents of rioting and 18 incidents of arson.

Mr Doran said: "By any standards, the task facing this inquest is difficult and complicated.

"The difficulties facing the coroner have also been exacerbated by the loss of records," a reference to files once held by the Ministry of Defence.

But he stressed that the inquest would "objectively, independently and fiercely" examine the circumstances which ultimately led to the use of force.