HC Deb 07 March 1973 vol 852 c156W
Mr. Kilfedder

asked the Minister of State for Defence if he will give the details of the beating-up and the shooting of Private Gary Albert Barlow of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment on Sunday 4th March 1973 in the Lower Falls area.

Mr. Blaker

After a shooting incident on 4th March in Albert Street, in the Lower Falls area of Belfast, troops searched a house which was believed to have been used in the attack. A crowd of about 30 women harassed the security forces.

At about 5.10 p.m. the search was called off without anything having been found. An armoured personnel carrier was backed up to the house and the search teams boarded it. The vehicle was very crowded but it was thought that everyone was present when it drove off at 5.15 p.m.

At 5.22 p.m. a large crowd was reported to have gathered at the junction of Albert Street and McDonnell Street and two girls reported to the local Army unit that a soldier was being hurt. A patrol sent to investigate found Private Barlow very seriously injured with gunshot wounds to the head. A large and hostile crowd, which included a number of women, was dispersed only after a rubber bullet had been fired. One shot was fired by the patrol at a man seen carrying a rifle, but he was not hit.

Private Barlow was evacuated to hospital where he was found to have abrasions to his face and two gunshot wounds. He died in hospital early on 5th March.