How the Prosecution of an Army Veteran Over Bloody Sunday Concluded in Case Dismissal
Sunday 30 January 1972 remains one of the deadliest – and momentous – occasions throughout three decades of conflict in this area.
In the streets where it happened – the legacy of that fateful day are painted on the structures and etched in people's minds.
A public gathering was held on a cold but bright afternoon in Derry.
The protest was a protest against the system of internment – imprisoning people without due process – which had been implemented in response to an extended period of unrest.
Military personnel from the elite army unit fatally wounded thirteen individuals in the neighborhood – which was, and continues to be, a strongly Irish nationalist area.
A particular photograph became notably iconic.
Pictures showed a clergyman, Fr Edward Daly, waving a bloodied fabric as he tried to defend a group carrying a teenager, Jackie Duddy, who had been killed.
News camera operators documented considerable film on the day.
Historical records contains Father Daly telling a reporter that military personnel "gave the impression they would fire in all directions" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no justification for the discharge of weapons.
This account of events was disputed by the original examination.
The initial inquiry determined the soldiers had been shot at first.
During the resolution efforts, the ruling party set up another inquiry, after campaigning by family members, who said the first investigation had been a cover-up.
That year, the findings by Lord Saville said that on balance, the soldiers had initiated shooting and that none of the casualties had presented danger.
The contemporary head of state, the leader, issued an apology in the Parliament – declaring killings were "without justification and inexcusable."
Authorities commenced examine the incident.
An ex-soldier, identified as the accused, was charged for killing.
Accusations were made over the deaths of one victim, in his twenties, and in his mid-twenties William McKinney.
The defendant was further implicated of trying to kill several people, additional persons, more people, Michael Quinn, and an unidentified individual.
Exists a court ruling protecting the soldier's identity protection, which his legal team have claimed is necessary because he is at risk of attack.
He told the examination that he had solely shot at people who were possessing firearms.
That claim was disputed in the concluding document.
Evidence from the investigation was unable to be used directly as testimony in the court case.
In the dock, the accused was shielded from sight behind a blue curtain.
He made statements for the opening instance in court at a hearing in December 2024, to answer "innocent" when the allegations were read.
Relatives of the deceased on Bloody Sunday journeyed from Londonderry to the judicial building every day of the case.
John Kelly, whose relative was died, said they understood that hearing the proceedings would be emotional.
"I remember the events in my memory," John said, as we walked around the key areas discussed in the proceedings – from Rossville Street, where his brother was killed, to the nearby Glenfada Park, where the individual and the second person were fatally wounded.
"It reminds me to my position that day.
"I participated in moving my brother and put him in the ambulance.
"I went through every moment during the testimony.
"Despite enduring all that – it's still meaningful for me."