The Way the Legal Case of an Army Veteran Over the 1972 Londonderry Incident Ended in Case Dismissal

Protesters in a stand-off with British soldiers on Bloody Sunday
Youths in a confrontation with army troops on Bloody Sunday

Sunday 30 January 1972 is remembered as arguably the most deadly โ€“ and consequential โ€“ days in thirty years of violence in this area.

In the streets where events unfolded โ€“ the memories of that fateful day are displayed on the walls and etched in collective memory.

A civil rights march was held on a cold but bright afternoon in the city.

The demonstration was a protest against the system of imprisonment without charges โ€“ detaining individuals without due process โ€“ which had been put in place after multiple years of violence.

Father Daly used a white cloth stained with blood as he tried to shield a crowd carrying a teenager, Jackie Duddy
Fr Edward Daly displayed a white cloth stained with blood while attempting to protect a crowd transporting a teenager, the injured teenager

Troops from the elite army unit shot dead thirteen individuals in the Bogside area โ€“ which was, and remains, a strongly Irish nationalist community.

One image became notably prominent.

Pictures showed a Catholic priest, Fr Edward Daly, displaying a bloodied fabric in his effort to shield a assembly carrying a teenager, Jackie Duddy, who had been killed.

Journalists documented considerable film on the day.

Documented accounts features the priest informing a media representative that military personnel "appeared to shoot indiscriminately" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no provocation for the shooting.

Individuals in the neighborhood being taken to custody by soldiers on Bloody Sunday
Protesters in the district being marched towards detention by military personnel on Bloody Sunday

The narrative of events wasn't accepted by the first inquiry.

The initial inquiry found the soldiers had been shot at first.

In the peace process, the ruling party commissioned a new investigation, following pressure by bereaved relatives, who said Widgery had been a inadequate investigation.

In 2010, the conclusion by the investigation said that generally, the military personnel had fired first and that zero among the victims had been armed.

The then Prime Minister, the leader, expressed regret in the Parliament โ€“ declaring deaths were "improper and unacceptable."

Families of the victims of the tragic event fatalities process from the neighborhood of the city to the municipal center carrying pictures of their family members
Relatives of the victims of the Bloody Sunday fatalities march from the Bogside area of Derry to the civic building carrying images of their family members

Law enforcement started to look into the incident.

An ex-soldier, identified as the accused, was charged for homicide.

He was charged regarding the fatalities of the first individual, 22, and 26-year-old William McKinney.

Soldier F was additionally charged of attempting to murder several people, additional persons, more people, an additional individual, and an unnamed civilian.

Exists a legal order protecting the defendant's privacy, which his lawyers have claimed is required because he is at danger.

He told the Saville Inquiry that he had exclusively discharged his weapon at individuals who were possessing firearms.

The statement was disputed in the official findings.

Material from the investigation would not be used straightforwardly as evidence in the legal proceedings.

In the dock, the defendant was shielded from sight with a protective barrier.

He spoke for the first time in the proceedings at a hearing in December 2024, to respond "not guilty" when the charges were put to him.

Relatives and supporters of the victims on the incident display a sign and images of those killed
Relatives and supporters of those killed on Bloody Sunday hold a banner and photos of those killed

Relatives of the deceased on Bloody Sunday journeyed from Derry to Belfast Crown Court daily of the proceedings.

John Kelly, whose brother Michael was fatally wounded, said they understood that attending the proceedings would be painful.

"I remember everything in my recollection," the relative said, as we walked around the key areas referenced in the proceedings โ€“ from Rossville Street, where his brother was shot dead, to the nearby the courtyard, where James Wray and William McKinney were died.

"It returns me to where I was that day.

"I helped to carry the victim and place him in the vehicle.

"I went through every moment during the proceedings.

"Notwithstanding enduring the process โ€“ it's still meaningful for me."

One victim (left) and Another victim (right) were among those who were died on Bloody Sunday
Michael Nelson
Michael Nelson

Experienced journalist specializing in political and economic news with a passion for investigative reporting.