The Way this Legal Case of a Former Soldier Regarding Bloody Sunday Ended in Not Guilty Verdict

Sunday 30 January 1972 stands as among the most fatal – and significant – occasions in thirty years of conflict in Northern Ireland.

Within the community of the incident – the legacy of that fateful day are displayed on the walls and seared in collective memory.

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

The demonstration was opposing the policy of detention without trial – detaining individuals without trial – which had been implemented in response to three years of violence.

Soldiers from the elite army unit killed 13 people in the neighborhood – which was, and remains, a overwhelmingly Irish nationalist community.

A specific visual became particularly prominent.

Pictures showed a religious figure, Fr Edward Daly, displaying a bloodied white handkerchief in his effort to defend a crowd moving a young man, the fatally wounded individual, who had been fatally wounded.

News camera operators recorded extensive video on the day.

Historical records includes Father Daly informing a journalist that soldiers "gave the impression they would fire in all directions" and he was "absolutely certain" that there was no reason for the gunfire.

This account of what happened wasn't accepted by the first inquiry.

The first investigation concluded the military had been fired upon initially.

Throughout the peace process, the ruling party established a new investigation, in response to advocacy by family members, who said Widgery had been a cover-up.

During 2010, the conclusion by the inquiry said that generally, the soldiers had discharged weapons initially and that not one of the individuals had presented danger.

At that time head of state, the Prime Minister, apologised in the government chamber – saying killings were "without justification and unacceptable."

The police began to investigate the matter.

An ex-soldier, identified as the defendant, was charged for homicide.

Indictments were filed regarding the fatalities of James Wray, twenty-two, and twenty-six-year-old William McKinney.

The accused was also accused of attempting to murder Patrick O'Donnell, Joseph Friel, more people, another person, and an unnamed civilian.

There is a judicial decision maintaining the veteran's identity protection, which his legal team have argued is essential because he is at danger.

He stated to the Saville Inquiry that he had only fired at persons who were carrying weapons.

This assertion was disputed in the concluding document.

Material from the inquiry was unable to be used directly as evidence in the legal proceedings.

During the trial, the veteran was shielded from sight behind a protective barrier.

He made statements for the initial occasion in the proceedings at a proceeding in that month, to reply "innocent" when the allegations were presented.

Relatives of those who were killed on Bloody Sunday travelled from Derry to the courthouse daily of the trial.

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

"I remember everything in my mind's eye," John said, as we walked around the main locations mentioned in the trial – from the street, where the victim was fatally wounded, to the adjacent the area, where James Wray and William McKinney were died.

"It even takes me back to where I was that day.

"I participated in moving the victim and put him in the medical transport.

"I went through the entire event during the evidence.

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