The trial of a seriously ill Army veteran on charges related to a fatal shooting during the Northern Ireland Troubles is set to begin.
Dennis Hutchings, 80, a former member of the Life Guards regiment, has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of John Pat Cunningham in Co Tyrone in 1974. He also denies a count of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.
Mr Cunningham, a 27-year-old man with learning difficulties, was shot dead as he ran away from an Army patrol near Benburb.
Hutchings, from Cawsand in Cornwall, is a high profile campaigner against the prosecution of military veterans who served in Northern Ireland during the conflict.
The pensioner is suffering from kidney disease and the trial at Belfast Crown Court will only sit three days a week to enable him to undergo dialysis treatment between hearings.
In 2019, Hutchings lost a Supreme Court bid to have the trial heard by a jury.
Dennis Hutchings, 80, a former member of the Life Guards regiment on attempted murder trial
Dennis Hutchings seen in his dress uniform in 1968 (left) and 1978 (right) is on trail today
The trial is over the attempted murder of John Pat Cunningham in Co Tyrone in 1974
The non-jury trial in Belfast will be presided over by Mr Justice O'Hara.
It had originally been scheduled to commence in March 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The trial is taking place amid ongoing political controversy over UK Government plans to end any future prosecutions related to the Troubles.
Just yesterday it committed to delivering on its controversial proposals to tackle legacy issues in Northern Ireland.
Secretary of State Brandon Lewis said that the Government still intended to legislate this year on plans for a statute of limitations which would end all prosecutions for Troubles incidents up to April 1998 - and would apply to military veterans as well as ex-paramilitaries.
However, he indicated that he was also
