"He was the only victim in this" - the killing of John Pat Cunningham

<p>Dennis Hutchings was buried on Thursday in Devon with full military honours and applause.</p><br><p>The 80 year old died in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&amp;tag_location=Belfast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Belfast</a>&nbsp;after contracting Covid-19 while he was in the city to face trial for the shooting of John Pat Cunningham in 1974.</p><br><p>Mr Cunningham, who was 27, was a vulnerable adult with learning difficulties who was afraid of soldiers.</p><br><p>Mr Hutchings has become a figurehead for the campaign backing the UK government’s controversial proposals to introduce a statute of limitations for Troubles-era crimes.</p><br><p>But in that debate John Pat Cunningham's name has largely been forgotten, according to his nephew Charlie Agnew.</p><br><p>On today's podcast, Charlie tells Conor Pope that his uncle John Pat was the only real victim in this decades-old tragedy.</p><br><p>And Freya McClements explains the story and how the issue of prosecuting veterans has become a toxic issue in Northern Ireland and in British politics.</p><br><p><br></p><br><p><br></p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>