A former member of the British army’s Parachute Regiment has gone on trial in Belfast charged with murdering two men on Bloody Sunday.
Soldier F has been granted anonymity and is also accused of five counts of attempted murder. He denies the charge. He appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Monday morning.
Soldier F sat in the dock behind a large black curtain out of sight from the Bloody Sunday families.
Thirteen civil rights protestors were shot dead by the Parachute Regiment on January 31, 1972. A fourteenth man would die from his injuries months later. In June 2010, following the release of the Saville Inquiry into the killings, British Prime Minister David Cameron made an apology in the House of Commons on behalf of the British government.
Soldier F is accused of the murder of William McKinney and James Wray.
Ahead of the trial Bloody Sunday Trust chairperson Tony Doherty, whose father was shot dead on Bloody Sunday, said: “We have waited fifty-three long years for justice and, hopefully, we will see a measure of it through this trial.
“When the families of the victims formed the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign in 1992 we had three clear demands: A declaration of innocence for all those killed and wounded, the repudiation of the Widgery Report and the prosecution of those responsible.
“The first two demands have been met, and when a British soldier stands in the dock on Monday and faces charges of multiple murder and attempted murder we will see the third demand met, although we will always believe there should be many more on trial for Bloody Sunday.
“This day will be a tribute to the strength of the Bloody Sunday families, whose indefatigable campaign for justice has made this happen. We hope to see justice at the end of this trial. We deserve it just the same as everyone else.”
