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Freedom fight
From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Thursday 27th Aug 1998.
THE parents of a Whalley soldier murdered by terrorists in Northern Ireland are backing a campaign for the release from prison of two of his former Army chums.
Scots Guards Jim Fisher, 29, and Mark Wright, 25, were jailed for life in 1992 for the shooting in Belfast of teenage dad-of-two Peter McBride.
Just months before Guardsman Fisher had been a pallbearer at the funeral of Whalley soldier Damian Shackleton, who was gunned down by IRA snipers while on a joint RUC-Army patrol in the Republican New Lodge area of North Belfast.
The two soldiers, who are serving their sentences in the notorious Maghaberry Jail in Northern Ireland, are due to have their case reviewed in October. But supporters claim they are victims of the peace process, unable to be freed in case the move angers nationalists.
Now Damian's parents, Hugh and Joan, who still live in Whalley, have added their support to the campaign.
And they have said they still find it dificult to accept that their son's killers have not been brought to justice.
"I accept that life has to move on, but it must do so on a fair basis. If terrorists are being released, then it is only right and proper that Damian's former colleagues are also released. They have suffered enough," Hugh said.
"Too many people have gone through the anguish that we have had to endure since the shocking day that Damian was killed. These two soldiers were under intolerable pressure at the time. Guardsman Fisher was a very close friend of Damian's," Joan said.
The two Scots Guards are now the subject of a campaign by family and friends to secure their early release.
They have even received touching support from the mother of their victim, Jean McBride, who has criticised the authorities for sending inexperienced soldiers to the troubled province.
And Joan Shackleton said she had "genuine sympathy" for the parents and relatives of all Northern Ireland's victims, although it was very difficult to accept that her son's killers had not been punished.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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