How this Trial of an Army Veteran Regarding the 1972 Londonderry Incident Concluded in Acquittal

Youths in a tense situation with military personnel on Bloody Sunday
Protesters in a stand-off with British soldiers on Bloody Sunday

Sunday 30 January 1972 remains one of the most fatal – and consequential – days in multiple decades of conflict in the region.

Throughout the area where events unfolded – the images of the tragic events are displayed on the structures and embedded in public consciousness.

A public gathering was held on a chilly yet clear day in the city.

The demonstration was a protest against the practice of imprisonment without charges – imprisoning people without legal proceedings – which had been put in place following multiple years of conflict.

Father Daly used a white cloth stained with blood as he tried to defend a group moving a young man, the injured teenager
Fr Edward Daly waved a white cloth stained with blood as he tried to protect a crowd transporting a youth, Jackie Duddy

Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment killed thirteen individuals in the district – which was, and remains, a overwhelmingly republican community.

A specific visual became especially prominent.

Images showed a religious figure, Father Daly, using a blood-stained cloth in his effort to shield a crowd transporting a youth, the fatally wounded individual, who had been mortally injured.

Media personnel recorded extensive video on the day.

Documented accounts includes Father Daly explaining to a media representative that troops "just seemed to shoot indiscriminately" and he was "completely sure" that there was no justification for the gunfire.

Protesters in the Bogside area being marched towards custody by British troops on Bloody Sunday
Protesters in the neighborhood being marched towards arrest by military personnel on Bloody Sunday

That version of what happened wasn't accepted by the initial investigation.

The Widgery Tribunal determined the soldiers had been fired upon initially.

Throughout the negotiation period, Tony Blair's government set up a new investigation, following pressure by surviving kin, who said the initial inquiry had been a inadequate investigation.

That year, the conclusion by Lord Saville said that overall, the paratroopers had initiated shooting and that zero among the victims had posed any threat.

The then government leader, the leader, apologised in the Parliament – saying fatalities were "improper and unjustifiable."

Relatives of the victims of the Bloody Sunday killings march from the district of Derry to the civic building displaying images of their loved ones
Kin of the casualties of the 1972 incident fatalities process from the district of Londonderry to the Guildhall displaying pictures of their relatives

The police commenced look into the matter.

An ex-soldier, referred to as the accused, was prosecuted for murder.

He was charged regarding the killings of the first individual, in his twenties, and twenty-six-year-old the second individual.

The defendant was additionally charged of seeking to harm multiple individuals, additional persons, further individuals, Michael Quinn, and an unnamed civilian.

Remains a court ruling maintaining the soldier's privacy, which his attorneys have claimed is necessary because he is at danger.

He testified the investigation that he had solely shot at people who were armed.

The statement was disputed in the official findings.

Information from the examination would not be used straightforwardly as proof in the criminal process.

In the dock, the accused was screened from view using a blue curtain.

He made statements for the first time in the proceedings at a hearing in late 2024, to answer "not responsible" when the allegations were read.

Kin and supporters of the victims on the incident display a banner and images of the deceased
Relatives and allies of the deceased on that day hold a sign and photos of the victims

Family members of those who were killed on the incident travelled from Londonderry to the judicial building every day of the proceedings.

One relative, whose relative was fatally wounded, said they always knew that listening to the case would be painful.

"I visualize everything in my memory," he said, as we visited the key areas referenced in the proceedings – from Rossville Street, where Michael was fatally wounded, to the nearby the area, where James Wray and another victim were killed.

"It returns me to my location that day.

"I helped to carry Michael and place him in the medical transport.

"I relived every moment during the testimony.

"But even with having to go through everything – it's still meaningful for me."

James Wray (left) and Another victim (right) were among those who were fatally wounded on the incident
Andrea Brock
Andrea Brock

A tech enthusiast and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in the industry.