The Way this Trial of an Army Veteran Over the 1972 Londonderry Incident Concluded in Not Guilty Verdict
Sunday 30 January 1972 is remembered as arguably the deadliest – and momentous – dates in three decades of violence in this area.
In the streets of the incident – the images of the tragic events are painted on the buildings and etched in people's minds.
A civil rights march was held on a chilly yet clear afternoon in Derry.
The demonstration was a protest against the practice of imprisonment without charges – imprisoning people without legal proceedings – which had been implemented following multiple years of violence.
Soldiers from the specialized division killed 13 people in the Bogside area – which was, and continues to be, a overwhelmingly Irish nationalist population.
One image became particularly memorable.
Photographs showed a religious figure, Father Daly, waving a stained with blood cloth while attempting to shield a group carrying a youth, the injured teenager, who had been mortally injured.
Journalists documented much footage on the day.
The archive contains the priest explaining to a media representative that troops "just seemed to shoot indiscriminately" and he was "completely sure" that there was no provocation for the shooting.
That version of events was rejected by the initial investigation.
The initial inquiry concluded the soldiers had been attacked first.
During the resolution efforts, the ruling party set up a fresh examination, in response to advocacy by surviving kin, who said the initial inquiry had been a cover-up.
In 2010, the findings by the inquiry said that overall, the military personnel had discharged weapons initially and that zero among the individuals had presented danger.
At that time Prime Minister, David Cameron, issued an apology in the House of Commons – declaring fatalities were "unjustified and inexcusable."
Authorities commenced look into the matter.
A military veteran, identified as the accused, was prosecuted for killing.
Accusations were made regarding the deaths of the first individual, 22, and in his mid-twenties the second individual.
The defendant was also accused of attempting to murder multiple individuals, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon, an additional individual, and an unknown person.
Exists a court ruling preserving the soldier's privacy, which his lawyers have argued is required because he is at danger.
He told the examination that he had exclusively discharged his weapon at individuals who were possessing firearms.
That claim was rejected in the official findings.
Information from the investigation could not be used immediately as testimony in the legal proceedings.
During the trial, the veteran was screened from view behind a protective barrier.
He made statements for the first time in court at a hearing in late 2024, to reply "not guilty" when the allegations were read.
Relatives of the deceased on the incident made the trip from Derry to the judicial building each day of the trial.
A family member, whose relative was fatally wounded, said they always knew that attending the proceedings would be emotional.
"I can see everything in my mind's eye," the relative said, as we visited the main locations mentioned in the case – from the location, where the victim was fatally wounded, to the adjoining the area, where James Wray and the second person were died.
"It even takes me back to my location that day.
"I assisted with Michael and place him in the ambulance.
"I went through the entire event during the evidence.
"Despite experiencing all that – it's still meaningful for me."