🔗 Share this article

January 30th, 1972 is remembered as arguably the most deadly – and momentous – days throughout thirty years of violence in the region.

Within the community where events unfolded – the legacy of Bloody Sunday are visible on the structures and seared in public consciousness.

A civil rights march was organized on a cold but bright afternoon in Derry.

The demonstration was a protest against the policy of detention without trial – holding suspects without trial – which had been established following multiple years of conflict.

Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment shot dead multiple civilians in the district – which was, and continues to be, a strongly nationalist population.

One image became particularly iconic.

Pictures showed a Catholic priest, the priest, waving a stained with blood fabric in his effort to shield a assembly transporting a young man, Jackie Duddy, who had been killed.

Media personnel documented considerable film on the day.

Historical records includes Fr Daly informing a journalist that military personnel "just seemed to discharge weapons randomly" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no justification for the gunfire.

The narrative of the incident was rejected by the first inquiry.

The Widgery Tribunal determined the Army had been fired upon initially.

Throughout the resolution efforts, the administration commissioned a fresh examination, in response to advocacy by bereaved relatives, who said the first investigation had been a whitewash.

In 2010, the report by the investigation said that on balance, the military personnel had fired first and that zero among the individuals had posed any threat.

The contemporary government leader, David Cameron, apologised in the government chamber – declaring deaths were "without justification and unjustifiable."

Authorities started to look into the matter.

A military veteran, referred to as the accused, was brought to trial for murder.

Accusations were made regarding the killings of James Wray, in his twenties, and twenty-six-year-old another victim.

The defendant was further implicated of attempting to murder multiple individuals, additional persons, Joe Mahon, an additional individual, and an unidentified individual.

Remains a court ruling preserving the veteran's identity protection, which his lawyers have argued is required because he is at threat.

He stated to the examination that he had only fired at people who were possessing firearms.

The statement was disputed in the official findings.

Information from the examination would not be used straightforwardly as proof in the criminal process.

In court, the accused was hidden from public with a blue curtain.

He made statements for the opening instance in the proceedings at a hearing in December 2024, to reply "not responsible" when the charges were presented.

Kin of the victims on Bloody Sunday journeyed from Londonderry to Belfast Crown Court each day of the trial.

A family member, whose relative was died, said they understood that listening to the case would be emotional.

"I visualize all details in my mind's eye," he said, as we visited the primary sites referenced in the proceedings – from the location, where Michael was fatally wounded, to the adjoining the courtyard, where the individual and William McKinney were died.

"It reminds me to my position that day.

"I helped to carry Michael and place him in the ambulance.

"I relived every moment during the evidence.

"Despite having to go through all that – it's still worthwhile for me."