A British soldier who shot dead a man after mistaking his van backfiring for gunfire has been publicly named by a coroner. Sergeant Allan McVitie from the Parachute Regiment fired the two shots that killed Henry Thornton outside a police station in 1971. The paratrooper, who has since died, did not take “necessary, reasonable or proportionate” action, Brian Sherrard ruled at Belfast coroner’s court. Lifting the anonymity order that protected Mr McVitie’s identity would not set a precedent for other legacy cases involving the military, Mr Sherrard said. He added: “Each and every one has to be looked at on its own merits.”As Mr McVitie is dead it could not be argued that his security was being placed at risk by naming him.

Source: The Times January 26, 2017 00:15 UTC