Hero ex-soldier who served in Northern Ireland was thrown in jail as part of ‘witch hunt’

A HERO ex-soldier who bravely fought terrorists in Northern Ireland during The Troubles last night told of his shock and disgust at being arrested and thrown in jail over 40 years later.

Dennis Hutchings, now 75 and in failing health, was held in a dawn raid in front of his horrified family on suspicion of
attempted murder as part of a new “witch hunt” against Army veterans.

The dad-of-three, who suffers from chronic kidney disease, was then flown to Belfast where he was held for four days in a police cell and interrogated.

Dennis, who served in the Lifeguards, part of the Household Division for 26 years, said: “The family was really upset and it affected me a great deal.

“I’m being treated like a common criminal for doing my job as a soldier all the years ago.

“I’ve started having heart problems. It’s’ the uncertainty of every day that gets to you.

“I will have been on bail for two years in April.

“When I read The Sun’s story I was seething. This is the biggest load of bollocks going.

“Hung out to dry? I’ve been arrested at dawn, thrown in a cell and interrogated for something I was told was over 40 years ago.”

The ex-coal miner from Blyth, Northumberland, joined the Army when he was 18 and did tours of the Middle and Far East before being sent to Northern Ireland in 1969.

He said: “We were doing what was required, that was to stop the Catholics and Protestants killing each other.

“In 1969 we were protecting the Catholics from the Protestants. In 1970 it was the other way round.

“Then after that we were in the middle of it.

“We were just being paid to do a job, keep the peace, and were putting our lives on the line.

“We had a couple wounded, one very lucky because he got shot through the nose, there was lots of shooting incidents.

“We were just doing our job.

“To bring this back up again now is just scandalous and a massive waste of money.

“There should be an independent QC enquiry into each case rather than the DPP doing it. They can then take the decision to move things forward and save a huge amount of money.”

Dennis was mentioned in dispatches in 1974 for leading a night patrol in a hostile area and arresting a group of suspected terrorists who were moving arms into a house.

But 36 hours later he was back on patrol when he was involved in a shooting incident for which he was questioned.

A year later in 1975 he was told there would be no further action.

The letter given to him by the MOD from the Director of Public Prosecution stated: “There is to be no prosecution of any military personnel arising out of this incident.”

But more than 40-years later he is being treated as an attempted murder suspect.

The grandfather-of-23, who now lives in Torpoint, Cornwall, was arrested on April 21 – the Queen’s birthday – last year.

His shocked partner Kim and her family were at the house when police from Devon and Cornwall and the RUC swooped.

The cops even searched his house in case he had kept a diary.

Nervous and in shock, he was then taken by car to Bristol Airport and flown to Belfast before being moved to Antrim police station where he was held and questioned.

Dennis, who had handed suspects into Antrim police station when he was serving there, suddenly found himself on the other side of the cell door.

He added: “I served 26 years and one day for The Queen.

“I don’t blame the Queen, I blame the politicians who are spineless s****.”

Dennis is now due to appear in court in Newry in March for a committal hearing.

He said: “If I leave home for more than five days I have to ring the RUC in Northern Ireland to tell them where I’m
going.

“I have no passport and can’t leave the country.”

The Sun revealed yesterday how all 302 killings by British troops during the 30 years of The Troubles are being investigated afresh – costing taxpayers tens of millions of pounds.

Dennis said last night: “I feel the military gets very little or no support from the Government even though they have been sent there by the Government.

“It’s absolutely scandalous.

“The IRA were given letters saying they wouldn’t be prosecuted. Others were pardoned and a lot have never been investigated.

“A lot of guys of my generation are now being told they will be investigated and it’s absolutely disgusting.

“My family are absolutely gutted. As far as they were concerned I was a soldier doing a job.

“It makes me so bloody annoyed.

“I’m one of those suffering, I’ve been charged with attempted murder and being let down by the government “It’s gone crazy. Here I am, a borderline case waiting to go to dialysis and with heart problems, and got this wrapped round my neck.

“It drives me crackers.

“Bloody right the government should do more. It’s previous governments too.

“They’ve done nothing but hang us military people out to dry.

“There is a complete and total lack of support from the government.”