The trial of the only British soldier charged over Bloody Sunday has avoided collapse after a judge ruled that “decisive” evidence from his comrades could be used against him.
The former lance corporal, who is now in his seventies and known only as Soldier F, is accused of shooting dead two civil rights demonstrators in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on January 30, 1972. They were among 13 unarmed civilians killed in “gratuitous” shootings by the Parachute Regiment during a protest march through the Bogside area, which became one of the darkest defining moments of the Troubles.
Half a century later, Soldier F became the sole soldier to face trial in relation to the massacre. He was charged with murdering James Wray, 22, and William McKinney, 26, and attempting to kill Patrick O’Donnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon, Michael Quinn and an unknown person. He denies the charges.
A 12-year investigation into Bloody Sunday found there was no justification for the shooting of protesters
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