A judge has ruled that crucial hearsay evidence can be admitted in the trial of a former paratrooper accused of two murders on Bloody Sunday. Judge Patrick Lynch granted the prosecution's application to include statements from other soldiers present during the shootings in Londonderry on 30th January 1972.
The evidence includes claims that the accused veteran, known as Soldier F, fired shots in the courtyard where two men he allegedly killed were shot. The prosecution has described this evidence as "decisive" to their case against the former soldier.
Bloody Sunday background
Members of the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 civilians in Derry on Bloody Sunday following a civil rights march. The incident occurred in the city's Bogside area and remains one of the most controversial events during the Northern Ireland conflict.
Soldier F, whose identity cannot be revealed, faces charges of murdering James Wray and William McKinney. He is also accused of five attempted murders involving Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon, Patrick O'Donnell and an unknown person. The veteran has pleaded not guilty to all seven counts.
Legal arguments
Prosecution barrister Louis Mably KC argued that statements given by soldiers G and H to the Royal Military Police on the night of the shootings represent the only evidence "capable of proving" Soldier F fired his rifle at civilians in Glenfada Park North. "This is decisive evidence," he told Belfast Crown Court.
Defence barrister Mark Mulholland KC opposed the application to admit the hearsay evidence. He described the contents of the statements as "contradictory, unreliable and inadmissible" during the non-jury trial proceedings.
Bereaved relatives welcomed Judge Lynch's ruling when they gathered outside the court on Wednesday. The decision allows key testimony to proceed in what represents a significant development in the long-running case.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
