How the Legal Case of an Army Veteran Regarding Bloody Sunday Concluded in Acquittal

January 30th, 1972 remains arguably the most fatal – and consequential – dates in three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.

Throughout the area of the incident – the images of that fateful day are visible on the structures and etched in public consciousness.

A civil rights march was organized on a wintry, sunny period in the city.

The demonstration was challenging the system of imprisonment without charges – imprisoning people without trial – which had been established following an extended period of violence.

Military personnel from the specialized division killed multiple civilians in the Bogside area – which was, and remains, a strongly nationalist population.

A particular photograph became notably memorable.

Pictures showed a Catholic priest, Fr Edward Daly, displaying a stained with blood cloth as he tried to protect a crowd moving a youth, Jackie Duddy, who had been fatally wounded.

News camera operators recorded considerable film on the day.

Documented accounts contains Fr Daly explaining to a media representative that troops "appeared to shoot indiscriminately" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no justification for the shooting.

The narrative of the incident wasn't accepted by the first inquiry.

The Widgery Tribunal concluded the military had been attacked first.

In the peace process, the ruling party commissioned a fresh examination, after campaigning by surviving kin, who said the first investigation had been a cover-up.

During 2010, the report by Lord Saville said that on balance, the military personnel had fired first and that zero among the casualties had posed any threat.

The contemporary head of state, the Prime Minister, issued an apology in the House of Commons – declaring fatalities were "unjustified and unacceptable."

Law enforcement started to investigate the incident.

An ex-soldier, identified as the defendant, was charged for killing.

Accusations were made over the killings of the first individual, twenty-two, and 26-year-old another victim.

Soldier F was additionally charged of attempting to murder Patrick O'Donnell, additional persons, Joe Mahon, another person, and an unidentified individual.

Exists a legal order protecting the defendant's anonymity, which his legal team have maintained is necessary because he is at danger.

He told the Saville Inquiry that he had exclusively discharged his weapon at persons who were possessing firearms.

That claim was disputed in the concluding document.

Evidence from the inquiry could not be used straightforwardly as testimony in the court case.

In the dock, the defendant was shielded from sight with a blue curtain.

He addressed the court for the opening instance in the proceedings at a hearing in December 2024, to respond "not responsible" when the charges were presented.

Kin of the deceased on that day journeyed from Londonderry to the judicial building daily of the proceedings.

One relative, whose relative was fatally wounded, said they were aware that listening to the proceedings would be painful.

"I visualize everything in my memory," the relative said, as we walked around the primary sites mentioned in the trial – from Rossville Street, where his brother was killed, to the adjoining the courtyard, where the individual and William McKinney were died.

"It returns me to my position that day.

"I assisted with my brother and put him in the medical transport.

"I relived the entire event during the testimony.

"Despite experiencing all that – it's still valuable for me."