How the Legal Case of a Former Soldier Regarding the 1972 Londonderry Incident Concluded in Acquittal
January 30th, 1972 is remembered as one of the deadliest – and significant – occasions during thirty years of violence in Northern Ireland.
Throughout the area where events unfolded – the images of the tragic events are painted on the structures and etched in people's minds.
A public gathering was conducted on a cold but bright day in the city.
The demonstration was challenging the system of detention without trial – imprisoning people without due process – which had been established following three years of unrest.
Military personnel from the elite army unit shot dead thirteen individuals in the neighborhood – which was, and continues to be, a strongly republican community.
One image became especially iconic.
Images showed a clergyman, the priest, using a bloodied cloth as he tried to protect a group carrying a teenager, the fatally wounded individual, who had been fatally wounded.
News camera operators documented considerable film on the day.
Documented accounts features Fr Daly informing a journalist that military personnel "appeared to shoot indiscriminately" and he was "completely sure" that there was no justification for the discharge of weapons.
That version of what happened was disputed by the original examination.
The Widgery Tribunal determined the soldiers had been fired upon initially.
Throughout the peace process, Tony Blair's government set up a new investigation, after campaigning by surviving kin, who said the initial inquiry had been a inadequate investigation.
During 2010, the findings by the investigation said that on balance, the soldiers had initiated shooting and that none of the victims had been armed.
At that time head of state, David Cameron, issued an apology in the House of Commons – declaring deaths were "improper and unacceptable."
The police commenced examine the events.
A military veteran, known as the defendant, was charged for homicide.
Indictments were filed regarding the fatalities of James Wray, in his twenties, and twenty-six-year-old William McKinney.
The accused was additionally charged of seeking to harm Patrick O'Donnell, other civilians, further individuals, another person, and an unidentified individual.
Exists a legal order protecting the soldier's identity protection, which his legal team have argued is essential because he is at threat.
He told the examination that he had only fired at persons who were carrying weapons.
The statement was rejected in the final report.
Information from the inquiry would not be used straightforwardly as evidence in the legal proceedings.
In the dock, the defendant was screened from view using a privacy screen.
He made statements for the first time in the proceedings at a proceeding in that month, to reply "not guilty" when the charges were put to him.
Relatives of the victims on that day made the trip from the city to Belfast Crown Court daily of the proceedings.
One relative, whose brother Michael was died, said they were aware that attending the case would be difficult.
"I visualize everything in my recollection," John said, as we visited the primary sites referenced in the trial – from the location, where the victim was shot dead, to the nearby Glenfada Park, where one victim and William McKinney were fatally wounded.
"It returns me to where I was that day.
"I participated in moving Michael and lay him in the vehicle.
"I relived every moment during the testimony.
"But even with experiencing everything – it's still meaningful for me."