PSNI Apologizes for 1969 Death of First Child Killed in Troubles

A 56-Year Wait: Police Apologise to Family of First Child Killed in Troubles

After more than half a century of pain, unanswered questions, and a relentless quest for justice, the family of the first child to die in the Northern Ireland Troubles has finally received a formal apology from the police. In a poignant hearing at Belfast’s High Court, it was announced that the family of nine-year-old Patrick Rooney will receive significant compensation for his killing by police in August 1969, a moment that marked a dark and irreversible escalation in the burgeoning conflict.

The settlement, reached in a civil action brought by Patrick’s now 88-year-old mother, Alice Rooney, against the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), brings a formal, albeit partial, close to one of the most tragic chapters of the Troubles. An apology for the decades of “hurt and suffering” was read into the court record, a public admission of fault from the institution that inherited the legacy of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), whose officers fired the fatal shot.

For the Rooney family, the outcome was described as “bittersweet.” While no amount of money could ever replace the life of their beloved son and brother, the apology served as a long-awaited vindication. “It was never about the money, you can’t put a price on life,” said Patrick’s brother, Con Rooney, speaking outside the court. “But the police must be apologising for something.”

A Night of Unimaginable Terror

The events that led to Patrick Rooney’s death unfolded on a terrifying night in August 1969, as sectarian violence erupted across Belfast. The Rooney family, parents Neilly and Alice with their six young children, sought refuge from the chaos raging outside their home in the Divis Flats tower block. Believing they would be safest in a back bedroom, away from the street, they huddled together as the sounds of rioting and gunfire filled the air.

Their sanctuary, however, became a death trap. In an attempt to quell the disturbances, RUC officers deployed Shorland armoured cars mounted with heavy-duty Browning machine guns—weapons of war unsuited for a civilian public order situation. From these vehicles, they unleashed a barrage of high-velocity rounds into the complex. It is estimated that up to 200 bullets were fired indiscriminately at the tower blocks, striking multiple properties without any clear target.

One of those bullets tore through the wall of the Rooneys’ bedroom and struck Patrick, the eldest child, in the head. He died instantly, in front of his horrified parents and siblings. In the ensuing chaos, the family’s attempts to secure medical help were futile. His father, Neilly, was forced to carry his son’s lifeless body through the dangerous streets to find an ambulance, a traumatic memory that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

A Decades-Long Fight for Truth

In the aftermath of the killing, the family’s grief was compounded by a sense of profound injustice. According to their legal team, members of the RUC took active steps to obstruct any meaningful investigation into the circumstances of Patrick’s death. For decades, the family felt a wall of official silence had been erected, leaving them without answers or accountability.

A significant breakthrough finally came in 2021 with the publication of a damning report by the Police Ombudsman. The investigation identified “significant operational and investigative failures” surrounding the killing of Patrick and three others during the unrest. The Ombudsman’s findings were stark, criticising the RUC’s use of Browning machine guns in a densely populated residential area as “fundamentally flawed, disproportionate and dangerous.” The report concluded that death or serious injury was an inevitable consequence of such a reckless action.

Despite this official condemnation, the path to criminal justice remained blocked. Investigators were unable to identify which specific Shorland vehicle had fired the fatal shot, and with the passage of time, a lack of surviving evidence meant no former police officer was ever prosecuted for Patrick’s death.

Vindication in the High Court

Frustrated by the lack of criminal accountability, Alice Rooney launched a civil action against the Chief Constable. The lawsuit sought damages for negligence, breach of statutory duty, assault and battery, and misfeasance in public office, targeting not only the unlawful killing but also the subsequent failure to conduct an effective and independent inquiry.

In court, Mrs Rooney’s barrister, Patrick Lyttle KC, confirmed that a settlement had been reached. He described it as a “tragic case” and outlined how Patrick was killed in his own home by a bullet from a heavy machine gun. As part of the resolution, an apology was formally read out: “The PSNI acknowledges the hurt and suffering caused to the family and wishes to sincerely apologise for the loss they endured.”

While the compensation figure remains confidential, it was described as “significant.” Mr Justice Kevin Rooney, presiding over the case, acknowledged the unimaginable trauma the family had endured. “This is an extraordinarily sad case,” he stated, urging the authorities, including the Policing Board and Stormont departments, to ensure there were no further delays in finalising the payment to the elderly Mrs Rooney, who was too frail to attend the hearing. “His mother is still alive and clearly wants full resolution for what happened in the most tragic circumstances as soon as possible,” the judge added.

A Promise Kept

For the family, the day represented the culmination of a promise made to their late father. “My daddy died in 2013, and on his death bed he asked us to keep going and don’t let this go,” Con Rooney shared, his voice thick with emotion. He recounted the sheer terror of that night, a memory seared into his mind since he was eight years old. “It was horrific that night, I imagined (the police) kicking the door in to line us up and shoot us. We were frightened out of our lives, they petrified us.”

The family’s solicitor, Katie McAllister of Madden and Finucane, underscored the magnitude of the 56-year wait for an apology. “Patrick was killed in his own bedroom, the very place that he should have been most safe from danger,” she said. “The RUC fired 200 rounds of high velocity machine gun fire at no identifiable targets, raking poorly constructed flats indiscriminately.”

While the settlement cannot undo the past, the apology stands as a powerful public record of wrongdoing. It is an admission that a nine-year-old boy’s life was unlawfully taken by those meant to protect him, and that for more than five decades, his family was denied the basic truth and accountability they deserved.