Soldier F Trial Hears Bloody Sunday Shooting Testimonies in Belfast Court

Soldier F, a former British Paratrooper, is on trial at Belfast Crown Court, accused of the murders of James Wray and William McKinney and five counts of attempted murder related to the Bloody Sunday shootings in Londonderry in 1972. Multiple eyewitness statements were read in court, including that of Hugh O'Boyle, who recounted hearing gunfire distinct from rubber bullets and witnessing three bodies lying crumpled on the ground in Glenfada Park North, believing them to be dead. O'Boyle also described fearing for his life when a soldier aimed a rifle at him and ordered those hiding to come out with their hands raised, using his gun to motion them forward, making O'Boyle convinced he was about to be shot. Another statement from Patrick O'Donnell, who was wounded on Bloody Sunday and later died, was also presented. The trial is conducted without a jury, with Soldier F's identity protected by court order; he pleads not guilty to all charges. The case revisits a tragic event where the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 civil rights demonstrators and wounded about 15 others during the march in the Bogside area of Londonderry.