Family of Bloody Sunday Shooting Victim Awarded £275,000 in Damages
The family of Daniel McGowan, a man shot and wounded during Bloody Sunday, will receive £275,000 in damages following a High Court ruling.
Daniel McGowan, a father of nine, sustained life-altering injuries and was rendered unable to work after being shot when the British Army's Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in Londonderry on 30 January 1972.
On that day, thirteen people were killed and fifteen others injured.
McGowan, who passed away in 2004 at the age of 69, reportedly endured psychological trauma comparable to that experienced by Vietnam War veterans.
The presiding judge, Mr Justice Rooney, determined that part of the compensation was intended to address the wrongful conduct of British paratroopers who fired upon civilians in the city.
"The deceased was exposed to humiliation and degradation and the soldiers behaved in a malicious and oppressive manner," he said.
An initial investigation, the Widgery Tribunal, cleared the soldiers of wrongdoing but was widely criticized by victims' families as a whitewash.
In 2010, the Saville Inquiry concluded that none of the casualties posed a threat or engaged in actions that would justify their shooting.
Following the Saville Inquiry's findings, then British Prime Minister David Cameron issued a public apology, describing the killings as "unjustified and unjustifiable."
‘Highly probable’ that Soldier F was responsible
Several compensation claims have resulted in significant payouts by the Ministry of Defence to those bereaved or injured.
The claim brought by Daniel McGowan's estate focused on a dispute regarding the amount of compensation awarded.
At the time of the civil rights march, McGowan was 37 years old, and his wife was pregnant with their ninth child.
He was shot in the leg near the Rossville Flats area. The court heard that the inquiry found it "highly probable" that Soldier F was the paratrooper responsible for shooting him.
McGowan remained wounded at the scene for approximately one hour before being transported to hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries.
Due to his injuries, he was unable to return to his job as a maintenance operator at the local Du Pont factory.
Subsequently, he developed heavy alcohol use and suffered from anxiety, neurosis, and depression.
It is believed that McGowan also witnessed others being shot and killed during the incident. A consultant psychiatrist compared his psychological effects to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition identified among US troops returning from the Vietnam War.
‘Sense of grievance was essentially life-long’
The family's legal representatives argued that the compensation should reflect both the wrongful vilification McGowan endured and the loss of earnings resulting from the destruction of his life after Bloody Sunday.
The court was informed that McGowan's death prevented him from experiencing the exoneration and vindication provided by the Saville Inquiry's findings.
"His sense of grievance was essentially life-long," Karen Quinlivan KC stated.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Rooney emphasized McGowan's "impeccable good character and work ethic."
He had no involvement in criminal or paramilitary activities and held no political affiliations.
The judge also noted that after Bloody Sunday, McGowan was unable to participate in football or other recreational activities.
Family lawyer Fearghal Shiels described the ruling as a final vindication of McGowan's innocence.
"Danny McGowan was a loving husband, father and keen and proud breadwinner for his large but young family.
"The impact of his unlawful shooting, which the Bloody Sunday Inquiry found was most likely caused by Soldier F, had profound and everlasting implications for all of his family."
