How this Trial of a Former Soldier Over the 1972 Londonderry Incident Concluded in Acquittal
Sunday 30 January 1972 remains among the deadliest – and consequential – days during thirty years of conflict in the region.
Within the community where events unfolded – the images of Bloody Sunday are painted on the buildings and embedded in people's minds.
A civil rights march was organized on a wintry, sunny period in Derry.
The demonstration was a protest against the system of imprisonment without charges – holding suspects without trial – which had been put in place following three years of unrest.
Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment killed thirteen individuals in the district – which was, and still is, a strongly republican population.
A specific visual became notably prominent.
Images showed a Catholic priest, Father Daly, using a stained with blood cloth in his effort to shield a assembly carrying a youth, the fatally wounded individual, who had been fatally wounded.
Media personnel captured extensive video on the day.
Historical records contains Fr Daly telling a media representative that soldiers "appeared to shoot indiscriminately" and he was "completely sure" that there was no justification for the discharge of weapons.
This account of the incident was rejected by the initial investigation.
The first investigation concluded the military had been fired upon initially.
During the negotiation period, the ruling party established another inquiry, after campaigning by bereaved relatives, who said Widgery had been a whitewash.
That year, the report by Lord Saville said that on balance, the soldiers had fired first and that not one of the casualties had posed any threat.
At that time government leader, David Cameron, issued an apology in the Parliament – saying killings were "without justification and unjustifiable."
Authorities began to investigate the matter.
A military veteran, identified as the defendant, was brought to trial for killing.
Indictments were filed regarding the deaths of James Wray, twenty-two, and 26-year-old William McKinney.
The accused was further implicated of attempting to murder several people, additional persons, more people, an additional individual, and an unknown person.
Exists a court ruling protecting the veteran's anonymity, which his legal team have claimed is essential because he is at danger.
He told the Saville Inquiry that he had solely shot at individuals who were armed.
That claim was rejected in the concluding document.
Information from the examination was unable to be used immediately as evidence in the legal proceedings.
In court, the defendant was hidden from public using a privacy screen.
He addressed the court for the first time in court at a hearing in December 2024, to answer "not guilty" when the allegations were put to him.
Relatives of those who were killed on that day journeyed from the city to the courthouse each day of the proceedings.
One relative, whose sibling was died, said they always knew that listening to the proceedings would be painful.
"I remember all details in my memory," he said, as we walked around the key areas referenced in the case – from Rossville Street, where the victim was fatally wounded, to the nearby the area, where one victim and William McKinney were fatally wounded.
"It reminds me to my location that day.
"I participated in moving my brother and place him in the medical transport.
"I relived the entire event during the evidence.
"Notwithstanding experiencing all that – it's still worthwhile for me."
