The Court of Appeal has ruled that a coroner was entitled to determine an SAS soldier acted justifiably in shooting IRA driver Tony Doris in County Tyrone in 1991.

Tony Doris, Peter Ryan and Lawrence McNally, members of the IRA's East Tyrone Brigade active service unit, died in an ambush on 3 June 1991 in Coagh. Soldiers intercepted their stolen car on suspicion the men planned to murder a security force member.

Up to 150 rounds were fired during the incident. In 2024, a coroner concluded the SAS used reasonable and proportionate lethal force, based on soldiers' honest belief it was necessary to prevent loss of life.

Relatives of Doris challenged the coroner's verdict through judicial review, claiming it violated Article 2 right to life protections. They argued Soldier B acted disproportionately against the unarmed driver, separate from the armed passengers.

Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan dismissed the challenge. She stated Doris formed part of the overall threat alongside the other Provisional IRA members in a fast-moving situation with imminent danger to life.

Keegan noted Soldier B fired eight rounds in one or two seconds, holding an honest belief the entire car group posed a unified threat to a military colleague. The court found the coroner's view of the occupants as a collective terrorist threat legally sustainable.

A High Court judge had previously endorsed the inquest findings that Doris presented an immediate threat to life.