How the Trial of an Army Veteran Regarding Bloody Sunday Concluded in Acquittal

Protesters in a stand-off with army troops on Bloody Sunday
Protesters in a tense situation with military personnel on Bloody Sunday

Sunday 30 January 1972 stands as one of the most deadly – and consequential – days in multiple decades of unrest in Northern Ireland.

Throughout the area where it happened – the images of that fateful day are displayed on the structures and embedded in public consciousness.

A public gathering was organized on a wintry, sunny afternoon in Derry.

The protest was a protest against the policy of internment – detaining individuals without due process – which had been established in response to three years of conflict.

Father Daly displayed a blood-stained handkerchief while attempting to defend a assembly carrying a youth, Jackie Duddy
Father Daly displayed a blood-stained handkerchief as he tried to defend a assembly transporting a youth, the injured teenager

Soldiers from the specialized division fatally wounded 13 people in the neighborhood – which was, and continues to be, a predominantly republican area.

A particular photograph became particularly prominent.

Images showed a Catholic priest, Father Daly, using a bloodied white handkerchief in his effort to shield a assembly transporting a young man, the fatally wounded individual, who had been killed.

Media personnel recorded considerable film on the day.

Documented accounts includes Fr Daly informing a reporter that military personnel "just seemed to fire in all directions" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no provocation for the discharge of weapons.

Protesters in the neighborhood being taken to detention by soldiers on Bloody Sunday
Protesters in the neighborhood being directed to arrest by military personnel on Bloody Sunday

The narrative of events wasn't accepted by the original examination.

The initial inquiry determined the military had been shot at first.

In the negotiation period, the administration commissioned a fresh examination, in response to advocacy by surviving kin, who said the initial inquiry had been a inadequate investigation.

In 2010, the conclusion by the inquiry said that overall, the soldiers had fired first and that none of the individuals had been armed.

The contemporary head of state, David Cameron, issued an apology in the government chamber – saying fatalities were "unjustified and unacceptable."

Families of the casualties of the tragic event killings process from the district of the city to the municipal center carrying images of their family members
Relatives of the victims of the tragic event killings march from the Bogside area of Londonderry to the civic building displaying images of their family members

The police started to examine the incident.

An ex-soldier, known as the accused, was charged for homicide.

Indictments were filed regarding the fatalities of James Wray, twenty-two, and in his mid-twenties William McKinney.

The defendant was further implicated of seeking to harm several people, Joseph Friel, more people, an additional individual, and an unknown person.

Exists a judicial decision preserving the defendant's anonymity, which his attorneys have argued is essential because he is at danger.

He told the Saville Inquiry that he had only fired at individuals who were carrying weapons.

The statement was rejected in the concluding document.

Material from the examination could not be used immediately as proof in the legal proceedings.

During the trial, the accused was hidden from public using a privacy screen.

He addressed the court for the first time in court at a proceeding in late 2024, to reply "not guilty" when the charges were put to him.

Family members and advocates of the victims on the incident hold a banner and photos of the deceased
Family members and supporters of the victims on that day display a placard and photos of the victims

Kin of the deceased on Bloody Sunday travelled from the city to the judicial building each day of the proceedings.

One relative, whose relative was killed, said they understood that attending the trial would be difficult.

"I remember everything in my mind's eye," he said, as we visited the key areas referenced in the proceedings – from the street, where the victim was killed, to the adjacent Glenfada Park, where one victim and William McKinney were fatally wounded.

"It even takes me back to my position that day.

"I participated in moving my brother and lay him in the medical transport.

"I experienced again every moment during the evidence.

"Notwithstanding experiencing everything – it's still valuable for me."

One victim (left) and Another victim (right) were part of who were fatally wounded on the incident
Stephen Zimmerman
Stephen Zimmerman

A tech enthusiast and business strategist with over a decade of experience in digital transformation and startup ecosystems.