Taxpayers' money being used to 'punish' army veterans, ex-commanders claim

Oliver Partridge
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:10:24 +0000

Two former Army commanders have accused the government of allowing taxpayers' money to be squandered on "baseless" legal actions targeting SAS veterans who served in Northern Ireland.

General Sir Peter Wall, previously the Army's most senior officer, and General Sir Nick Parker, who formerly led Land Forces, issued their criticism following a Belfast court ruling on Thursday.

The pair issued a joint statement that read: "Public money is being misused to fund meritless challenges, wasting precious judicial time and dragging veterans and their families through years of unnecessary distress."

Both generals demanded ministers conduct an immediate review of the Troubles Bill, which removed protections for Northern Ireland veterans that had been established under the previous Conservative administration's Legacy Act.

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Their intervention came after Northern Ireland's Court of Appeal rejected an attempt by Roisin Nugent to overturn a coroner's conclusions regarding her father's death.

Tony Doris was among three IRA paramilitaries shot dead by SAS soldiers during an operation in Coagh, County Tyrone, nearly 35 years ago.

Ms Nugent had received legal aid to pursue a judicial review challenging the 2024 inquest verdict, which determined that the special forces unit acted lawfully when using lethal force.

Her case centred on the conduct of a veteran identified only as Soldier B, now aged in his 60s, who discharged eight rounds at her father within approximately two seconds.

She argued that the soldier ought to have issued a verbal warning or reconsidered the necessity of each shot fired.

The 1991 operation followed intelligence received by the Army indicating that members of the IRA's East Tyrone brigade intended to assassinate a former Ulster Defence Regiment soldier at a public car park in the town.

SAS personnel set up an ambush, with one soldier disguising himself as the intended target and waiting at the location.

As the IRA unit arrived, one of the occupants opened the passenger door of their vehicle whilst pointing a rifle, prompting the special forces team to open fire.

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Peter Ryan, Tony Doris and Lawrence McNally were all killed in the exchange.

A judge subsequently characterised Mr Doris as a member of "an active service unit intent on murder."

When the High Court in Belfast initially heard Ms Nugent's application last year, Mr Justice McAlinden delivered a scathing rejection, declaring her arguments "utterly divorced from the reality of the circumstances and challenges faced by Soldier B."

The judge posed a rhetorical question about what alternative the soldier possessed when confronted by "a vehicle containing three members of an IRA active service unit intent on murder."

He noted that had the soldiers hesitated, they would have been "effectively sitting ducks" against potential automatic rifle fire whilst trapped in their positions.

Mr Justice McAlinden branded the challenge "ludicrous" and expressed astonishment that legal aid had been granted for such proceedings.

Lady Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan, dismissing the subsequent appeal on Thursday, concluded that Soldier B "honestly believed" the IRA unit represented "an immediate threat to life", and responded proportionately to "a fast-moving and lethal situation".

She questioned whether the case constituted "an effective use of public funds".

Sir David Davis, himself a former SAS reservist, condemned the expenditure as "large amounts of public money being misspent masquerading as justice, whilst in truth it promotes serial injustice".

He labelled Labour's proposed Troubles legislation "a disgrace and a scandal".

Special Forces associations issued a collective statement, asserting that the Soldier B ruling "exposes how attempts to deal with the legacy of the Troubles are being exploited at public expense to punish and persecute veterans and to peddle a false narrative".

A Ministry of Defence spokesman welcomed the Court of Appeal's decision to dismiss Ms Nugent's appeal.

"This case is part of the complex legacy of the Troubles, which affected so many veterans, families, and communities," the spokesman added.