Soldier F pleads not guilty to murder on Bloody Sunday
British Broadcasting CorporationA former British soldier has pleaded not guilty to murdering two men on Bloody Sunday more than half a century ago.
In June, lawyers for former paratrooper F. applied The case against him was dismissed before his trial.
Judge Fowler dismissed the application at Belfast Crown Court on Friday.
On 30 January 1972, Soldier F was charged with two murders and five attempted murders after members of the Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in Londonderry.
Soldiers opened fire on the Bogside, killing 13 people and injuring at least 15 others.
Lawyers for the former soldier argued there was insufficient evidence against him.
However, Judge Fowler dismissed their application to stay the prosecution.
The key evidence was the statements made by two other soldiers at the time.
Judge Fowler ruled they had presented “sufficient evidence” to proceed with the trial.
He said it would be up to the trial to determine their admissibility, reliability and how much weight should be given to them.
In a corner of the courtroom, which was closed with a large curtain to prevent public view, Soldier F answered “not guilty” to each of the seven charges.
Judge Fowler also ruled that Soldier F’s anonymity would continue to be protected because he could be targeted if discovered.
Soldier F’s trial date will be set early in the new year.
Who is Soldier F?
- A former British soldier who served in the Northern Ireland Army Parachute Regiment during the Troubles
- He cannot be named due to a temporary court order granting him anonymity.
- Soldier F indicted for the murders of William McKinney and James Ray on Bloody Sunday
- He also faces charges of attempting to murder Patrick O’Donnell, Joseph Freer, Joe Mahon, Michael Quinn and an unidentified person on the same day
Colum Eastwood, the Social Democratic MP for Foyle, who appeared in court on Friday, described the ruling as “another step forward in the long campaign for justice for the families of Bloody Sunday”.
He said: “Today we have received welcome confirmation that the charges against Soldier F will not be dropped and he will face trial for murder and attempted murder.”
While it represents progress, “it’s not going to be easy for families,” he said.
He said: “It is regrettable that the prosecution failed to consult with the family before deciding not to challenge Soldier F’s anonymity order.”
The decision whether to prosecute Soldier F involved multiple legal challenges and a U-turn.
Prosecutors said after weighing 125,000 pages of material March 2019 They were to send Soldier F to stand trial for the murders of Mr Ray and Mr McKinney, as well as several attempted murders.
However, prosecutors in 2021 Withdraw case Two other veterans were charged with another Troubled Times murder after the trial collapsed.
At the time, the families of Bloody Sunday victims said the decision was a “stern indictment of the British justice system” – and their legal challenge to the decision was successful.
The court subsequently rejected an attempt by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) to refer its appeal to the Supreme Court.
Prosecutors subsequently announced that they had decided Prosecution to resume in September 2022.
He was returned to stand trial in December 2023, a decision that was later challenged by his lawyers in June.
That hearing was Soldier F’s first appearance in person since he was charged.
