Bloody Sunday deaths 'unnecessary and gratuitous', court told

The killing of two men on Bloody Sunday was unnecessary and gratuitous, according to the trial of a former British soldier. Soldier F is accused of murdering James Wray, 22, and William McKinney, 26, as well as facing five counts of attempted murder in 1972. Members of the Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights protesters in Londonderry’s Bogside district, killing thirteen people. Around fifteen others were wounded. Soldier F is shielded from public view by a black curtain surrounding part of the dock in Belfast Crown Court.

The former paratrooper, whose identity is protected by court order, has pleaded not guilty. He also denies five charges of attempted murder. Soldier F is now accused of attempting to murder Patrick O’Donnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon, Michael Quinn, and another unidentified man. During the hearing, three of those he allegedly injured are expected to give evidence.

‘Unjustified’
The shootings were unjustified, prosecutor Louis Mably KC told the court, and none of the victims posed any threat. They were unarmed and were shot as they ran away. Mr Mably added that the soldiers involved, including Soldier F, later gave a misleading account of what had taken place.

“What they did do was falsely claim that the civilians they shot at were armed,” he said. “That was demonstrably false.”

Mr Mably argued that the killings had had a long-lasting and profound effect on Northern Ireland. He stressed that the trial would focus narrowly on the events that occurred in a courtyard at Glenfada Park in Derry’s Bogside. Soldier F, he said, was part of a select group of soldiers who moved west from Rossville Street into the courtyard.

“With their self-loading rifles, the group opened fire on civilians as they ran,” he explained. “The result was the deaths I have described, as well as four men wounded and injuries to two women.”

The prosecutor insisted that the civilians in the courtyard were unarmed and posed no danger to the soldiers, and no member of the army could reasonably have believed otherwise. He added that the soldiers’ statements would be subject to a hearsay application on Wednesday to determine whether they would be admissible. This, he said, was the first substantive issue in the case.

On Monday, families and friends of those killed on Bloody Sunday, along with dozens of supporters, marched to the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast, just days before the trial began. Many at the front of the march carried a large banner reading: Towards Justice.

“This day is a tribute to the resilience of the families, whose indefatigable struggle for justice has made this possible,” said Tony Doherty, chair of the Bloody Sunday Trust.

John McKinney, a lawyer for the McKinney family, described it as “a monumental day in our fight to get justice for our loved ones” before entering the court.

“We will soon occupy the courtroom with our heads held high, knowing that we are on the right side of history,” he added.

Legacy Process
Northern Ireland veterans commissioner David Johnstone claimed that former soldiers were being subjected to “complete demonisation” under the region’s legacy process. He called for a system that was fair and balanced.

“The overwhelming majority of the nearly 300,000 Armed Forces personnel who served in Northern Ireland during Operation Banner did so with pride, patience and humour, striving to protect communities and to prevent civil war in this province,” he said.

He added that the lives of soldiers killed by terrorists received little or no media coverage, and there was no prospect of a public inquiry into their deaths.

TUV leader Jim Allister said he had stopped on his way to London to demonstrate his support for veterans, even outside the courthouse.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) decided to prosecute Soldier F in 2019. He was one of 18 former soldiers referred to the PPS following a police investigation after Lord Saville’s public inquiry into Bloody Sunday. However, he was the only one charged.

Two years later, the PPS dropped the case after the trial of two other veterans accused of a 1972 murder in Belfast collapsed. Following a legal challenge, the trial was reinstated in 2022.

Other soldiers’ accounts of the events on Bloody Sunday are considered crucial evidence in the Soldier F case. A decision on whether such testimony is admissible is expected early in the proceedings.

Who is Soldier F?