Aidan McAnespie killing: Ex-soldier David Holden withdraws appeal

An ex-soldier who was given a suspended sentence for killing an unarmed man at an Army checkpoint has withdrawn a legal challenge to his conviction.

David Holden was the first soldier to be convicted of a Troubles-era killing in NI since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

The victim of the 1988 shooting was 23-year-old Aidan McAnespie.

He was killed by a bullet that ricocheted off the road and hit him in the back at a checkpoint.

Holden, who was found guilty of manslaughter in November 2022, was later sentenced to three years in prison but the judge suspended the term for three years.

An attempt by Holden to have his conviction overturned was due to begin at the Court of Appeal in Belfast on Tuesday.

However, defence counsel informed the three-judge panel that the challenge was being withdrawn.

No further details were disclosed.

Lord Justice Treacy then confirmed the appeal against conviction was dismissed.  

Mr McAnespie was walking through a checkpoint in the village of Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, on his way to attend a Gaelic football match when the fatal shot was fired.

Holden, who is now in his early 50s, was 18 at the time of the shooting on 21 February 1988.

He was a member of the Grenadier Guards and was carrying out his first day of checkpoint duties.

The trial was told that Mr McAnespie was known to security forces as a "person of interest" as he was suspected of being a member of the IRA.

He was not armed or posing any threat when he was shot.

During the trial, the defendant claimed the shooting was an accident and that he did not intend to fire his weapon.

The trial heard that Holden did not realise the machine gun was cocked.

The defendant also claimed his hands were wet at the time and his finger slipped on the trigger of the gun, discharging three shots, one of which struck Mr McAnespie.

However, the judge did not accept Holden's account of what happened.