The Way the Prosecution of an Army Veteran Over Bloody Sunday Ended in Case Dismissal
Sunday 30 January 1972 is remembered as one of the most fatal – and momentous – occasions in multiple decades of unrest in this area.
In the streets where it happened – the memories of that fateful day are visible on the structures and embedded in people's minds.
A civil rights march was held on a wintry, sunny period in Derry.
The protest was opposing the practice of imprisonment without charges – imprisoning people without legal proceedings – which had been implemented following an extended period of conflict.
Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment shot dead thirteen individuals in the district – which was, and remains, a overwhelmingly republican community.
A particular photograph became particularly iconic.
Photographs showed a clergyman, Father Daly, waving a bloodied white handkerchief in his effort to defend a crowd carrying a youth, Jackie Duddy, who had been fatally wounded.
Journalists recorded extensive video on the day.
The archive includes Fr Daly telling a reporter that soldiers "just seemed to discharge weapons randomly" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no reason for the discharge of weapons.
This account of the incident was rejected by the original examination.
The first investigation determined the military had been shot at first.
Throughout the resolution efforts, the ruling party commissioned another inquiry, following pressure by surviving kin, who said the first investigation had been a whitewash.
In 2010, the report by Lord Saville said that overall, the soldiers had discharged weapons initially and that zero among the victims had presented danger.
At that time Prime Minister, the Prime Minister, expressed regret in the government chamber – declaring killings were "unjustified and unacceptable."
Authorities started to investigate the events.
An ex-soldier, known as the defendant, was prosecuted for killing.
He was charged regarding the killings of one victim, 22, and twenty-six-year-old the second individual.
The accused was further implicated of seeking to harm multiple individuals, other civilians, more people, another person, and an unknown person.
Remains a court ruling protecting the veteran's privacy, which his attorneys have argued is required because he is at danger.
He stated to the examination that he had only fired at persons who were carrying weapons.
The statement was disputed in the concluding document.
Information from the investigation was unable to be used straightforwardly as testimony in the court case.
In court, the veteran was screened from view using a privacy screen.
He spoke for the opening instance in court at a session in December 2024, to respond "innocent" when the accusations were read.
Relatives of the victims on the incident made the trip from Londonderry to the judicial building daily of the trial.
John Kelly, whose relative was fatally wounded, said they understood that hearing the proceedings would be emotional.
"I remember all details in my memory," he said, as we visited the main locations mentioned in the case – from the location, where the victim was killed, to the adjoining the courtyard, where James Wray and William McKinney were fatally wounded.
"It reminds me to my location that day.
"I helped to carry my brother and place him in the vehicle.
"I went through the entire event during the evidence.
"Notwithstanding having to go through the process – it's still meaningful for me."