British defence ministry accused of ‘deliberately delaying’ fresh inquest into Derry shooting

The Ministry of Defence was accused at Belfast Coroner’s Court on Wednesday of attempting to delay a fresh inquest into the shooting of Patrick Duffy in Derry in 1978. (PA)

The British Ministry of Defence has been accused of “deliberately delaying” a fresh inquest into the death of a man in Derry in 1978 ahead of new legislation which would stop court cases around Northern Ireland’s past.

However, a barrister for the MoD told Belfast Coroner’s Court that they are currently stretched with finite resources serving a number of legacy inquests.