Northern Ireland

Hooded Men to sue General Frank Kitson

Members of the Hooded Men are to sue General Frank Kitson
Members of the Hooded Men are to sue General Frank Kitson Members of the Hooded Men are to sue General Frank Kitson

Former senior British army officer General Frank Kitson is being sued by members of the group known as the Hooded Men.

Mr Kitson (91) is one of several high profile British establishment figures facing legal action brought by two members of the group.

Liam Shannon and Jim Auld recently launched proceedings against Mr Kitson and others including the estate of former British Prime Minister Edward Heath.

Separate legal action by other members of the group was also recently launched against former British political figures, including Mr Heath’s estate.

Mr Kitson was one of the most senior British army officers to serve in the north.

In 2015 the family of west Belfast man, Patrick Heenan, murdered by the UDA in February 1973, also launched legal action against the former soldier and Ministry of Defence, on the grounds that that he and others used agents knowing or "being reckless" as to whether they would take part in criminal actions.

Kevin Winters of KRW Law said: “It is now time for our clients to receive an admission of liability by the British government, full disclosure of all material that has been denied to them regarding the authorisation of interrogation techniques involving torture by the British army and the RUC, and compensation for their suffering – then and now.”