THE GUILDFORD PUB BOMBINGS 1974 – STATEMENT OF THE FAMILY OF ANN HAMILTON
Private Ann Hamilton was murdered in The Guildford Pub Bombings 1974 together with four others. Her family secured the resumption of the inquests into her death.
They have been refused legal aid by the Legal Aid Agency which would have enabled them to effectively participate into the investigation into Ann’s murder by way of independent legal representation.
They have now been asked by the Senior Coroner for Surrey to provide a pen portrait of Ann, their sister, a daughter and at the time of her murder a serving member of the British Army and a victim of an increasingly violent and aggressive IRA bombing and incendiary campaign in England which has already targeted military establishments at Aldershot, London, Colchester and Ripon.
The family of Ann Hamilton wrote a letter which has been sent by them to the Senior Coroner published.
Introducing the letter Cassandra Hamilton says:
“As the family of Ann Hamilton, we are not able to effectively participate in the inquest into her murder. As the scope of this inquest is now so narrow and there is to be no jury, we see no purpose in giving this process any further credibility. Ann was our sister and a daughter. She was serving in the British Army and was murdered in an IRA bombing which was the culmination of a bombing campaign which had targeted military objectives since 1973. It was not the start of an IRA bombing and incendiary campaign. Therefore, the purpose of this inquest is fatally flawed We had requested the inquest be resumed and we made that request in good faith. What we now have is a travesty of an investigation. We have been refused legal aid and so there will be empty seat – the seat of the relatives of our lost one Ann.”