How this Legal Case of an Army Veteran Regarding the 1972 Londonderry Incident Ended in Not Guilty Verdict

Protesters in a tense situation with military personnel on Bloody Sunday
Protesters in a stand-off with British soldiers on Bloody Sunday

Sunday 30 January 1972 is remembered as among the deadliest – and significant – occasions in multiple decades of violence in Northern Ireland.

In the streets of the incident – the memories of Bloody Sunday are displayed on the structures and embedded in collective memory.

A civil rights march was held on a chilly yet clear day in the city.

The protest was a protest against the system of imprisonment without charges – holding suspects without legal proceedings – which had been established in response to an extended period of unrest.

A Catholic priest used a blood-stained handkerchief as he tried to protect a crowd carrying a teenager, the fatally wounded youth
Fr Edward Daly waved a bloodied fabric as he tried to shield a crowd transporting a young man, the fatally wounded youth

Troops from the specialized division shot dead thirteen individuals in the Bogside area – which was, and continues to be, a predominantly republican community.

One image became notably iconic.

Pictures showed a clergyman, Fr Edward Daly, displaying a bloodied white handkerchief while attempting to defend a assembly moving a young man, the injured teenager, who had been mortally injured.

News camera operators documented much footage on the day.

Documented accounts features Fr Daly telling a reporter that soldiers "appeared to shoot indiscriminately" and he was "absolutely certain" that there was no reason for the discharge of weapons.

Protesters in the district being marched towards detention by military personnel on Bloody Sunday
Individuals in the district being marched towards detention by military personnel on Bloody Sunday

That version of what happened was rejected by the original examination.

The first investigation found the military had been attacked first.

In the peace process, Tony Blair's government commissioned another inquiry, following pressure by family members, who said the first investigation had been a whitewash.

That year, the conclusion by the investigation said that on balance, the paratroopers had initiated shooting and that none of the victims had been armed.

The then head of state, the leader, apologised in the Parliament – saying killings were "unjustified and unjustifiable."

Kin of the victims of the 1972 incident fatalities march from the district of the city to the civic building carrying images of their family members
Kin of the casualties of the tragic event killings march from the neighborhood of Londonderry to the municipal center holding photographs of their family members

The police commenced look into the matter.

A military veteran, referred to as Soldier F, was prosecuted for homicide.

He was charged regarding the fatalities of one victim, twenty-two, and in his mid-twenties William McKinney.

The defendant was also accused of attempting to murder multiple individuals, Joseph Friel, more people, another person, and an unnamed civilian.

Exists a court ruling preserving the soldier's privacy, which his attorneys have maintained is essential because he is at threat.

He testified the investigation that he had solely shot at persons who were carrying weapons.

That claim was dismissed in the final report.

Information from the inquiry could not be used straightforwardly as evidence in the criminal process.

In the dock, the veteran was shielded from sight using a privacy screen.

He spoke for the first time in the proceedings at a hearing in that month, to answer "innocent" when the allegations were read.

Kin and advocates of the victims on Bloody Sunday display a placard and images of those killed
Kin and supporters of the victims on Bloody Sunday display a placard and photos of the deceased

Relatives of the deceased on that day travelled from the city to Belfast Crown Court daily of the trial.

John Kelly, whose sibling was died, said they understood that listening to the proceedings would be difficult.

"I can see the events in my memory," the relative said, as we walked around the main locations mentioned in the case – from the location, where Michael was shot dead, to the adjoining Glenfada Park, where James Wray and William McKinney were fatally wounded.

"It even takes me back to where I was that day.

"I participated in moving the victim and place him in the medical transport.

"I relived each detail during the evidence.

"Despite experiencing everything – it's still worthwhile for me."

James Wray (left) and William McKinney (right) were among those who were fatally wounded on the incident
April Jones
April Jones

A passionate life coach and writer dedicated to empowering others through mindset transformation and holistic well-being practices.