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

Sunday 30 January 1972 is remembered as one of the most fatal – and momentous – days during multiple decades of conflict in the region.

Within the community of the incident – the legacy of Bloody Sunday are visible on the structures and embedded in public consciousness.

A public gathering was conducted on a wintry, sunny day in Londonderry.

The protest was challenging the system of imprisonment without charges – detaining individuals without legal proceedings – which had been implemented in response to three years of conflict.

Military personnel from the elite army unit fatally wounded 13 people in the district – which was, and remains, a overwhelmingly republican area.

One image became especially memorable.

Images showed a religious figure, Father Daly, using a blood-stained white handkerchief as he tried to defend a crowd transporting a teenager, Jackie Duddy, who had been mortally injured.

News camera operators recorded much footage on the day.

Historical records contains Fr Daly explaining to a journalist that soldiers "appeared to fire in all directions" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no provocation for the shooting.

The narrative of the incident wasn't accepted by the initial investigation.

The Widgery Tribunal determined the Army had been shot at first.

Throughout the peace process, the ruling party set up a fresh examination, following pressure by family members, who said Widgery had been a cover-up.

That year, the conclusion by the inquiry said that overall, the military personnel had fired first and that none of the individuals had presented danger.

The contemporary head of state, the leader, expressed regret in the government chamber – stating fatalities were "unjustified and inexcusable."

Law enforcement started to examine the events.

A military veteran, identified as the accused, was prosecuted for murder.

He was charged regarding the killings of one victim, twenty-two, and twenty-six-year-old William McKinney.

The defendant was additionally charged of attempting to murder several people, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon, an additional individual, and an unknown person.

Remains a judicial decision protecting the soldier's privacy, which his attorneys have claimed is necessary because he is at threat.

He testified the investigation that he had only fired at people who were carrying weapons.

The statement was disputed in the final report.

Material from the inquiry was unable to be used directly as proof in the court case.

In the dock, the defendant was screened from view behind a blue curtain.

He made statements for the first time in the hearing at a proceeding in late 2024, to answer "not guilty" when the charges were presented.

Kin of those who were killed on the incident journeyed from Londonderry to Belfast Crown Court each day of the proceedings.

A family member, whose brother Michael was died, said they understood that listening to the case would be painful.

"I remember the events in my recollection," the relative said, as we walked around the key areas discussed in the case – from Rossville Street, where the victim was fatally wounded, to the adjoining the area, where the individual and William McKinney were died.

"It returns me to my position that day.

"I helped to carry my brother and put him in the vehicle.

"I experienced again the entire event during the evidence.

"But even with experiencing everything – it's still valuable for me."