Court finds Downey ‘active participant’ in Hyde Park bomb

Relatives of four British soldiers killed in the Hyde Park bombing have won the first stage of a High Court damages claim against suspect John Downey.

Family members of Royal Household Cavalrymen who died in the July 1982 blast brought the civil action against the convicted IRA member after a criminal case collapsed at the Old Bailey in 2014.

Mrs Justice Yip ruled on Wednesday that Downey was an “active participant” in the bombing and was jointly responsible with others for the attack which left 31 other people injured.

Announcing her conclusions in London, the judge said: “This was a deliberate, carefully planned attack on members of the military.

“I have found that the defendant was an active participant in the concerted plan to detonate the bomb, with the intent to kill or at least to cause serious harm to members of the Household Cavalry.”

Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Roy Bright, 36; Lieutenant Dennis Daly, 23; Trooper Simon Tipper, 19; and Lance Corporal Jeffrey Young, also 19, were killed by a car bomb as they rode through the central London park to attend the changing of the guard.

Lawyers acting for Sarah-Jane Young, L/Cpl Young’s daughter - in whose name the action against Downey has been brought - told a hearing in London last week that the families of those killed expect “justice” to be done.

Downey, from Co Donegal, did not play any part in the trial, but filed a written defence denying any involvement in the attack.

The car bomb left in South Carriage Drive killed the four soldiers as they paraded from their barracks to Buckingham Palace.

Two were killed instantly, while L/Cpl Young and Maj Bright died from their injuries within days.

Seven horses had to be put down and another horse, Sefton, survived terrible injuries.

The case will now progress to a second stage to determine the amount of damages to be awarded.

Speaking outside the Royal Courts of Justice, family members of the bomb victims said justice had finally prevailed.

L/Cpl Young’s widow Judith Jenkins said: “My emotions are very high.

“We never thought this day would happen ... But my two girls now have had some form of justice today for their dad.

“Perhaps that will help them rebuild their lives.”

She said hearing her daughter Sarahjane - who was in nursery at the barracks at the time of the blast and saw wounded soldiers returning from the park - screaming at night as a child was “horrendous”.

Referring to the collapsed criminal prosecution of Downey at the Old Bailey in 2014, she said: “Our whole lives were ripped apart.

“You never forget something, it is always at the back of your mind, you build a wall around it and my wall just came crashing down.

“I wanted to get justice for my two girls and I think I was right for fighting for it.”

Mark Tipper, brother of Trooper Simon Tipper who was killed, said: “Since we lost the lads in 1982, it is the first time that we have found justice.”

Referring to the new Government, he said: “They need to meet us victims, because they don’t know how we feel.

“I will say to ministers, please meet victims, ask us how we feel, ask us what you can do to help us.”

Simon Utley, who was just 18 and attending his first guard duty as a trooper in the Royal Household Cavalry on the day of the bomb, said: “I’m absolutely ecstatic.

“I think there is a degree of closure that has come to us. We have taken it as far as we can take it, so I’m extremely pleased to hear the judgment today.”