A former special forces soldier, known only as "Soldier B," faces renewed legal challenges more than 30 years after an ambush in Northern Ireland in which an IRA member was killed. Legal aid has been granted to the next of kin of Tony Doris, an IRA driver involved in a 1991 drive-by shooting, enabling them to seek permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, according to Soldier B’s lawyer.
Soldier B served six tours of duty in Northern Ireland and had previously been cleared of wrongdoing in connection with the incident on multiple occasions. Last year, after five years of investigations and judicial scrutiny, his name was effectively cleared for a third time, with courts strongly critical of the challenges mounted against him. Despite this, Philip Barden, a partner at Devonshires Solicitors representing Soldier B, confirmed that the legal process remains unresolved and the case continues to cause the veteran considerable stress.
Under the renewal of legal aid, the family of Doris is preparing to request leave to appeal the case to the UK Supreme Court. Soldier B has two weeks to submit arguments before a decision is made on whether the appeal will be allowed. Barden highlighted the repeated nature of legal aid grants despite previous courts expressing reservations over their appropriateness, calling the ongoing scrutiny a source of "sleepless nights" for his client.
The original incident took place in June 1991 near Coagh, County Tyrone, where SAS soldiers used lethal force against three IRA members, including Doris. A coroner ruled in 2024 that the use of force was justified. However, Roisin Nugent, Doris’s daughter, contested the ruling. She argued that Soldier B should have paused between shots to assess if further firing was warranted, a point rejected by the courts.
In October 2025, the High Court in Belfast dismissed a judicial review application challenging the use of SAS force, with Mr Justice McAlinden describing the claim as “ludicrous” and “utterly divorced from reality.” An appeal to the Court of Appeal was also dismissed earlier this year, with Dame Siobhan Keegan, Northern Ireland’s chief justice, questioning whether the challenge represented an effective use of public funds.
The Northern Ireland justice department declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing confidentiality rules, while the Ministry of Defence reiterated its support for the 2024 judgment and Court of Appeal ruling but declined further comment due to ongoing legal processes.