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Man shot on Bloody Sunday said a soldier aimed at him

Joe Mahon told the trial that a solider aimed at him as he lay injured on the ground on 30 January 1972
Joe Mahon told the trial that a solider aimed at him as he lay injured on the ground on 30 January 1972

A man shot and injured on Bloody Sunday in Derry more than 50 years ago has been giving evidence at the trial of the former British soldier accused of his attempted murder.

Joseph Mahon was 16 when he was shot in the City's Bogside area on 30 January 1972.

He had taken refuge in Glenfada Park North after hearing that a number of people who had attended a civil rights march had been shot.

He said Glenfada Park North was "classed as a safe area" which the army had "never entered".

As he stood there he became aware that people were being shot at a rubble barricade in Roseville Street at its junction with Glenfada Park North.

Mr Mahon said the atmosphere was one of "fear" and that after an altercation between the Parachute Regiment and protesters at Magilligan Beach the previous week, people were wary of the soldiers.

He said a shout went up that soldiers were coming into Glenfada Park North where around 30 to 40 people had gathered.

He saw three or four soldiers run into the courtyard. The first one had his rifle under his arm.

He swung it up and opened fire "from the hip" as people scrambled to escape.

Mr Mahon said the soldier had sprayed his fire from side-to-side "like a fan" although it was not automatic fire.

He said he was hit and at first thought he had been struck by a rubber bullet.

He said people might find that strange but he said when he had seen people shot on TV they were "rolling about in pain but it wasn't that way".

Mr Mahon said he was lying beside two other men.

Both of them, William McKinney and James Wray, were fatally injured.

Mr McKinney was lying close to him. Mr Mahon heard him say "I'm hit son, I'm hit".

Mr Mahon said he was lying looking out into the courtyard.

He said the jacket of the soldier who had shot him stood out in his mind.

He described it as more of a smock or combat jacket and it was a different colour to that worn by the other soldiers.

Mr Mahon gave evidence that he saw the soldier cross the courtyard, walk past him and Mr McKinney and fire two additional shots into the body of Mr Wray who had moved on the ground.

Mr Mahon said he had later seen the soldier remove his helmet and mop his brow with his hand.

He described him as having short blond hair.

At that point he heard the soldier say "I've got another one".

Mr Mahon said the soldier had walked away but had seen him lift his head.

At that point the soldier allegedly knelt down in the centre of the courtyard and aimed his rifle at Mr Mahon.

"I turned my head away. After seeing what happened to Jim Wray I expected the same," he said.

He heard someone shout "First aid, don't shoot."

He heard a shot fired but it did not hit him.

Soldier F is charged with the murders of 22-year-old Jim Wray and 26-year-old William McKinney in Glenfada Park in Derry on 30 January 1972.

He is also charged with five attempted murders on the same day, including that of Mr Mahon.

The former British paratrooper denies all of the charges.

Mr Mahon told the court it was some time before he realised he had been shot with a live round.

He said the bullet had hit him in the pelvis and travelled up into his body.

The court was told he had sustained a "severe and life threatening gunshot wound to his body" but had survived.

Mr Mahon said he later identified the soldier who had shot him from a news video clip.

The clip was shown to the court and Mr Mahon pointed out the soldier he believed had opened fire.

The prosecution told the court no evidence would be presented that would positively identify the soldier.

The court has previously heard that the only evidence that places Soldier F in Glenfada Park North and as having opened fire are the statements of his fellow soldiers.

Later Mr Mahon was questioned by a defence barrister.

The cross examination centred on certain differences in some of his statements over the years about what he had seen and heard as he lay wounded in Glenfada Park North.

Mr Mahon was asked whether "with the passage of time between statements, media (interviews) and research, things can become quite confused?"

Mr Mahon replied "No".

When the hearing resumed after lunch, a second man who was shot and wounded was called to give evidence.

Joseph Friel said that after joining the march, he decided to go to Free Derry Corner as the speeches had started.

When asked by Crown barrister Sam Magee KC when he became aware of the British army, Mr Field said he was close to the rubble barricade at William Street when he first heard shots then saw the crowd "running in a panic".

As he lived in the flats at Rossville Street, Mr Friel said his first instinct was to "try and get back home" but he said there were "hundreds" of people trying to get into the flats at the same time.

Mr Friel said after this, he decided to run across the street and into Glenfada Park North and at that point he was "terrified".

He said he joined a crowd of people hiding behind two cars parks and when asked by Mr Magee if the shooting was still going in, Mr Friel said: "Shots were still being fired but then there seems to be lull, we're talking seconds, and that's when the crowd behind the two cars decided to run, to get out of Glenfada Park North and I joined them."

He said that as the crowd was running, he heard a male say "something like 'there's the Brits'" which caused him to turn around - and at that point he said he saw the soldiers.

Mr Friel said: "I definitely saw two and I have a vague memory of a third entering Glenfada Park North.

He said he saw one soldier "bent forward, shooting" and that it was "obvious from his body, recoil of whatever, he was the one doing the firing."

Mr Friel said: "There was a burst of gunfire, at least two of three shots, before I was hit.

"The one that hit me, I just felt a thud in my chest and was coughing up blood then I staggered round the corner into Glenfada Park South."

He said that after collapsing there, people came to his aid. Describing himself as "out of it", Mr Friel said he was in a state of panic.

After being brought into a house in Lisfannon Park, his wound was dressed.

An attempt was then made to drive Mr Friel to Altnagelvin Hospital and the court heard that during the journey, the car he was in was stopped by the army.

He was then transported into a military vehicle which brought him to the hospital.

He told the trial he credited the man who shouted "there's the Brits" for saving his life and said: "If I hadn't have turned, I would have been shot in the back."

The case continues.