John Hemsworth
John Hemsworth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 November 1958 Kearney, New Jersey, United States |
| Died | 1 January 1998 (aged 39) Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Spouse | Colette Hemsworth |
| Children | 3 |
John Hemsworth (13 November 1958 – 1 January 1998) was an Irish-American plumber who was beaten by constables of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, which caused him to die from a hemorrhagic stroke in January 1998. Hemsworth was the last civilian killed by security forces in the Troubles.
Personal life
John Hemsworth was born on 13 November 1958, in Kearny, New Jersey, but a few years later his family immigrated to Belfast.[1][2]
Hemsworth would have three daughters, two in a previous relationship and one with his wife Colette Hemsworth.[3]
Death
On 7 July 1997, Hemsworth was walking to his home on Conway Street from a night out at the St. Gall's GAA club; he would have usually gotten a taxi but they were unavailable due to the 1997 Northern Ireland riots, during the Drumcree conflict. At around 1:45 a.m. while he was walking along Malcolmson Street, several constables of the RUC Operational Support Unit Blue Section assaulted him with batons and kicked him while he was on the ground, the assault left him with a broken jaw, a injured neck and severe bruising to his body.[4][5][6]
When Hemsworth got home, he told his wife Colette what had happened, and she advised him to seek medical treatment; he was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital at 2:21am.[1][5][7]
Hemsworth reported the assault to his solicitors on 10 July.[8]
In November 1997 Hemsworth was diagnosed with panic disorder by a at home doctor, after he complained of severe pain.[8]
On 27 December Hemsworth was admitted to the Belfast City Hospital after he had fallen ill, and five days later on 1 January 1998 he would die from a major hemorrhagic stroke.[1][8][9]
Inquiry
In September 2009 an inquest was held surrounding Hemsworth's death, Hemsworth’s wife Colette showed photographs of John shortly after his beating. Ultimately the inquest was adjourned.[10]
The inquest continued in 2011, and on 16 May 2011 after reviewing the photographs from Colette, it was declared that the injuries he sustained from the RUC was one of if not the main reason for his death.[1][4][8][11]
References
- ^ a b c d "CASE OF HEMSWORTH v. THE UNITED KINGDOM". HUDOC - European Court of Human Rights. 2013-07-16. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ Mc Manus, Sean (2 December 2006). "THE BLANKET * Index: Current Articles". Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
- ^ Andrée (2023-11-30). "RUC/PSNI conspiracy of silence in killing of John Hemsworth". Relatives for Justice. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- ^ a b "Ombudsman backs claims of RUC assault on Catholic man". BBC News. 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- ^ a b "Report adds 'weight' to claims RUC officers involved in fatal assault". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- ^ Fitzmaurice, Maurice (2016-11-24). "Man died after being beaten by RUC, police watchdog reveals". Belfast Live. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- ^ "RUC linked to assault death Belfast man John Hemsworth". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 2016-11-24. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
- ^ a b c d "THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF MR JOHN HEMSWORTH ON 1 JANUARY 1998" (PDF). Police Ombudsman for Northern Iteland. 1998-01-01. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
- ^ "Police say 'deep regret' no officers held to account over death of John Hemsworth". The Irish News. 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- ^ "Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland - New information adds weight to evidence linking RUC officers to assault". Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
- ^ "Media Releases 2014 - Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland". policeombudsman.org. Retrieved 2023-12-13.