THERE were emotional scenes in a Belfast court yesterday as a woman told of how the death of her mother in Ballymurphy almost 50 years ago "destroyed" her family.
Briege Voyle's mother Joan Connolly was one of 10 people shot dead during three days of violence in west Belfast between August 9 and August 11 1971.
On the third day of the Ballymurphy massacre inquest, sitting before Mrs Justice Keegan, Ms Voyle took the stand to speak about her mother, who was killed when she went to look for two of her daughters.
Ms Voyle said her mother, who lived on Ballymurphy Road, had initially welcomed British soldiers into the area, making them sandwiches and tea.
She said her mother, who was shot on August 9 1971, believed "the army would not hurt a woman".
Ms Voyle revealed that the family only found out their mother had died when their father went out looking for her and visited the morgue.
"When daddy came back, he was literally carried in, he was a broken man because it was my mammy in the morgue,"she said.
"We were all screaming and crying and everybody was yelling and neighbours started coming in."
Ms Voyle added: "My mother was very dearly loved and has been very dearly missed. Losing her destroyed our family".
She also slammed rumours that her mother had been armed.
"I believe this to be untrue. My mother was not out trying to shoot anyone when she was killed," she said.
"I would like this inquest to help my mother to be remembered as the person that she was and not what she was reported to be back then."
Janet Donnelly, whose father Joseph Murphy was killed on August 9 1971, also took to the stand yesterday, describing him as "a character" who would make "time for people".
"The army opened fire on my daddy and he was shot in the right leg," she said.
"He had his right leg amputated on the Friday August 20 and died on Sunday August 22."
She said her mother was later diagnosed with cancer and died in August 2016 - 45 years after the death of her husband.
"They were reunited, when they were buried together," she said.
"Over 47 years later we finally begin a process to which we hope will finally bring about the truth as to how our daddy, husband, grandad was killed in cold blood by the British Army."
The final family member to take the stand was Marianne Phillips, niece of Noel Phillips, who was also killed on August 9 1971.
She read a statement on behalf of her father, Kevin Phillips - brother of Noel - which described him as "so quiet and sedate, really easy going and got on with everybody".
The family only found out Noel had been killed when they checked the morgue.
"It was as if a big, black, heavy curtain just came down on top of everyone, the atmosphere in the house just changed," said Mr Phillips' statement.
"Before Noel died we were all a big close family there was never a dull moment, after his death everything just went black everything changed for us there was no laughing or messing about, the normal things six brothers would get up to, that all changed.
"We’ve listened to the lies told about Noel in the media, how all the victims were gunmen and women.
"I don’t want an apology, I’m not interested, it’s too little, too late. I want justice.
"I want their names cleared, that’s what all the Ballymurphy Massacre families want, their names cleared and declared innocent".
