How the Trial of a Former Soldier Regarding Bloody Sunday Concluded in Not Guilty Verdict

Protesters in a stand-off with military personnel on Bloody Sunday
Protesters in a tense situation with army troops on Bloody Sunday

Sunday 30 January 1972 remains arguably the deadliest – and significant – days throughout multiple decades of unrest in Northern Ireland.

In the streets of the incident – the memories of Bloody Sunday are painted on the structures and embedded in collective memory.

A public gathering was organized on a cold but bright afternoon in Londonderry.

The demonstration was opposing the policy of imprisonment without charges – holding suspects without legal proceedings – which had been implemented following multiple years of conflict.

Father Daly displayed a blood-stained handkerchief as he tried to defend a assembly moving a young man, the injured teenager
A Catholic priest waved a blood-stained handkerchief while attempting to protect a crowd carrying a youth, the fatally wounded youth

Soldiers from the specialized division fatally wounded multiple civilians in the neighborhood – which was, and still is, a strongly republican population.

A specific visual became particularly memorable.

Pictures showed a religious figure, the priest, waving a blood-stained cloth in his effort to defend a crowd transporting a youth, the injured teenager, who had been mortally injured.

Media personnel captured considerable film on the day.

Documented accounts features Fr Daly telling a media representative that military personnel "just seemed to discharge weapons randomly" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no provocation for the discharge of weapons.

Individuals in the district being directed to custody by soldiers on Bloody Sunday
Protesters in the district being marched towards arrest by military personnel on Bloody Sunday

That version of the incident wasn't accepted by the original examination.

The first investigation concluded the Army had been attacked first.

In the resolution efforts, the ruling party commissioned a fresh examination, in response to advocacy by surviving kin, who said Widgery had been a inadequate investigation.

In 2010, the report by Lord Saville said that on balance, the paratroopers had fired first and that none of the victims had been armed.

At that time head of state, the leader, expressed regret in the House of Commons – declaring killings were "without justification and unjustifiable."

Kin of the deceased of the Bloody Sunday killings walk from the Bogside area of the city to the civic building carrying pictures of their family members
Families of the casualties of the 1972 incident shootings walk from the Bogside area of Derry to the civic building carrying photographs of their relatives

The police commenced examine the incident.

An ex-soldier, known as the defendant, was prosecuted for killing.

Indictments were filed concerning the deaths of James Wray, 22, and in his mid-twenties William McKinney.

The accused was further implicated of seeking to harm multiple individuals, Joseph Friel, more people, Michael Quinn, and an unknown person.

Exists a judicial decision preserving the soldier's identity protection, which his legal team have argued is required because he is at risk of attack.

He stated to the investigation that he had exclusively discharged his weapon at individuals who were carrying weapons.

That claim was rejected in the official findings.

Information from the examination would not be used straightforwardly as evidence in the legal proceedings.

During the trial, the accused was screened from view with a privacy screen.

He addressed the court for the first time in the hearing at a proceeding in late 2024, to respond "not responsible" when the charges were put to him.

Relatives and supporters of the victims on Bloody Sunday display a placard and photographs of the victims
Family members and supporters of those killed on the incident hold a placard and photographs of the deceased

Relatives of the deceased on that day travelled from Londonderry to Belfast Crown Court daily of the case.

One relative, whose sibling was fatally wounded, said they understood that hearing the proceedings would be painful.

"I remember the events in my memory," the relative said, as we examined the primary sites mentioned in the case – from the location, where the victim was shot dead, to the adjacent the area, where the individual and the second person were killed.

"It even takes me back to my location that day.

"I helped to carry the victim and place him in the ambulance.

"I went through each detail during the evidence.

"But even with having to go through all that – it's still worthwhile for me."

One victim (left) and Another victim (right) were part of who were fatally wounded on Bloody Sunday
Thomas Ho
Thomas Ho

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