Unarmed mother was shot by soldier in garden in ‘unjustified’ circumstances
A mother-of-six was shot dead by a soldier in her back garden in circumstances which were “unjustified”, a coroner has ruled.
Kathleen Thompson, a 47-year-old housewife, was killed by a bullet to the chest in Londonderry on November 6 1971, an inquest heard.
Two bullets were fired by someone identified only as soldier D into her garden in Rathlin Drive, Creggan, as he and others were withdrawing from the area, Judge Sandra Crawford said.
She said Mrs Thompson was unarmed and had been in her back garden banging a bin lid or other object to alert neighbours to the presence