The Saville Inquiry has heard that claims of a shot being fired at British Army troops before they moved into the Bogside on Bloody Sunday were not supported by military communications records at the time or civilian witness accounts. The allegation was made as the Saville inquiry began hearing details of the first British Army shootings on Bloody Sunday when two civilians were wounded. One of them, John Johnston, died five months later. Both he and 15-year-old Damien Donaghy were wounded before four o’clock in the afternoon - ahead of the main shootings of the day.
British soldiers have claimed a high velocity bullet shattered a rain water pipe above their heads in the grounds of an old Presbyterian church as they prepared to move into the Bogside, which was at the time a no-go area for the security forces. Counsel for the Inquiry Christopher Clarke QC said, despite a substantial amount of military evidence about this high velocity bullet, there remained a serious question as to whether it was fired and if so before or after the shootings of the two men.
The inquiry will resume tomorrow morning when more substantial details of the first two shootings of the day are expected to be revealed.
