How this Prosecution of a Former Soldier Regarding Bloody Sunday Ended in Acquittal
Sunday 30 January 1972 remains one of the most fatal – and significant – days throughout three decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
Throughout the area of the incident – the memories of the tragic events are painted on the walls and embedded in public consciousness.
A civil rights march was organized on a cold but bright period in Londonderry.
The demonstration was challenging the policy of imprisonment without charges – detaining individuals without legal proceedings – which had been put in place after three years of violence.
Troops from the specialized division shot dead thirteen individuals in the district – which was, and remains, a strongly nationalist area.
A specific visual became particularly prominent.
Pictures showed a clergyman, the priest, displaying a bloodied white handkerchief while attempting to defend a assembly carrying a youth, Jackie Duddy, who had been mortally injured.
Journalists recorded much footage on the day.
The archive includes Father Daly informing a media representative that troops "just seemed to shoot indiscriminately" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no provocation for the gunfire.
That version of the incident wasn't accepted by the original examination.
The first investigation determined the Army had been attacked first.
Throughout the resolution efforts, the ruling party set up a fresh examination, in response to advocacy by surviving kin, who said the initial inquiry had been a cover-up.
In 2010, the conclusion by Lord Saville said that generally, the soldiers had fired first and that not one of the casualties had been armed.
The then Prime Minister, the Prime Minister, issued an apology in the House of Commons – declaring fatalities were "improper and unjustifiable."
The police started to investigate the incident.
A military veteran, referred to as the accused, was prosecuted for killing.
Indictments were filed over the fatalities of James Wray, 22, and twenty-six-year-old William McKinney.
The defendant was further implicated of trying to kill several people, Joseph Friel, more people, an additional individual, and an unknown person.
Exists a judicial decision protecting the defendant's anonymity, which his lawyers have maintained is required because he is at risk of attack.
He told the Saville Inquiry that he had only fired at persons who were armed.
This assertion was rejected in the official findings.
Information from the inquiry would not be used directly as proof in the legal proceedings.
In court, the defendant was shielded from sight using a privacy screen.
He made statements for the first time in the proceedings at a session in that month, to reply "not guilty" when the charges were presented.
Family members of the deceased on the incident journeyed from Londonderry to the courthouse daily of the proceedings.
A family member, whose relative was killed, said they were aware that attending the case would be emotional.
"I visualize all details in my recollection," the relative said, as we visited the main locations referenced in the proceedings – from the location, where the victim was killed, to the nearby the courtyard, where the individual and the second person were died.
"It returns me to my location that day.
"I assisted with Michael and place him in the vehicle.
"I went through every moment during the proceedings.
"Despite enduring the process – it's still valuable for me."
