Trial of Soldier F Highlights Bloody Sunday Killings in Londonderry

During the ongoing trial of Soldier F at Belfast Crown Court, multiple witnesses recounted harrowing experiences from Bloody Sunday, when British paratroopers shot dead 13 civilians during a civil rights march in Londonderry in 1972. Malachy Coyle, a 15-year-old at the time, described telling a wounded man to "pretend you're dead" moments before he was fatally shot again, and recounted hearing a soldier threaten the crowd with racial slurs. Joe Mahon, also a teenager during the incident, testified that after being shot and lying on the pavement, he pretended to be dead and witnessed a soldier firing into another victim on the ground, stating "I've got another one." Soldier F stands charged with the murders of James Wray and William McKinney, as well as five counts of attempted murder including that of Mahon, and he denies all charges. The trial is notable for Soldier F's presence behind a curtain due to legal reasons. Witness accounts reveal the chaos and violence of the event, with soldiers firing into groups of people and victims trying to escape or hide in the Bogside area, particularly Glenfada Park North, which was initially considered a safe area by civilians.