A former paratrooper, identified only as Soldier F, has been acquitted of the murders of James Wray and William McKinney, and the attempted murders of five others, on Bloody Sunday in Londonderry in January 1972. The acquittal came after a five-week trial in a Northern Ireland 'Diplock' court, which was held without a jury. Judge Patrick Lynch KC stated that the evidence presented by the prosecution, which largely relied on statements from two of Soldier F's comrades, fell "well short" of the required standard of proof and found those statements to be "manifestly unreliable."
The shootings on Bloody Sunday resulted in the deaths of thirteen unarmed civil rights protesters and were a significant event during the Troubles. A lengthy and costly Saville Inquiry concluded in 2010 that those killed were innocent, leading to a murder investigation. Despite the inquiry's findings, prosecutions relating to Troubles deaths have been controversial, with veterans often claiming they are unfairly targeted. Soldier F was the only former soldier charged out of 18 reported to the Public Prosecution Service as a result of the Saville Inquiry. The prosecution case alleged that Soldier F and comrades fired upon civilians who were attempting to escape the violence and did not pose a threat.
The prosecution was initially dropped in 2021 but resumed following a legal challenge from the family of William McKinney. Soldier F's defense argued that the statements from his comrades lacked... download the app to read more
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