Revelations easing pain of Brighton soldier's death (From The Argus)

Revelations easing pain of Brighton soldier's death

2:06pm Friday 3rd February 2012 in News By Neil Vowles

The family of a soldier shot dead in Belfast during the Troubles have spoken of their relief to learn that he wasn’t left to die alone.

Relatives of Private Paul Carter from Brighton have thanked Belfast residents for trying to save his life as new details about his death were unearthed.

Private Carter was 21 when he was fatally shot by the IRA in 1971.

His relatives were told no one tried to help him, attempts were even made to steal his rifle and rumours that local people tried to run off with his body went unchallenged.

But now, 41 years on, a report by Northern Ireland’s Historical Enquiries Team has revealed that residents did try to help the dying soldier as he lay on the ground and even risked their own lives to do so.

His sister, Trudie Baker, told BBC Northern Ireland: “We were told that somebody tried to take his rifle from him while he was lying, bleeding to death. That was not true.

“The way it was told to us, he was on his own and that wasn’t the case.

“He wasn’t just left to die. To me that has made a huge, huge difference.

“To find that somebody wanted to help him, and a lot of people did, that was just invaluable for me.”