THE shooting dead of a Catholic priest has been described as "good press" by a former British Army major at the Ballymurphy inquest.
The witness, known as Soldier M45 after being granted anonymity, was speaking of the death of 38-year-old Fr Hugh Mullan, who was one of 10 people killed during what became known as the Ballymurphy Massacre between August 9 - 11 1971.
Soldier M45 was in charge of the Parachute Regiment's B Company 2 Para battalion, and when asked to describe what he meant by Fr Mullan's death as "good press", he told the inquest that it would have a strong resonance with local Catholics who "would make what they could of it".
Meanwhile, the witness also referred to allegations that men were taken into the Henry Taggart army base on the Springfield Road before being tortured. He told the hearing that such actions would be "quite unacceptable", but said: "I don't honestly accept that it did happen. There may have been rough usage."
Soldier M45 told the inquest that soldiers in his battalion were frightened and had been under fire, and described how he ordered his men to return fire at the nearby Moyard flats, where he believed two gunmen were located.
He said he believed that both were "taken down" as a result. The inquest continues.
