Judge rules sufficient evidence for ‘Soldier F’ to stand trial for two Bloody Sunday murders | UK News

A judge has ruled there is sufficient evidence for “Soldier F” to stand trial for the murders of two men and attempted murder of five others on Bloody Sunday.

The former paratrooper – who cannot be identified – pleaded not guilty to all charges relating to 30 January 1972 from behind a screen at Belfast Crown Court.

He is accused of murdering James Wray and William McKinney when members of the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 civil rights protesters in Londonderry.

In June, Soldier F’s lawyers applied for the case to be dismissed ahead of a trial, arguing there was an “insufficiency of evidence” against him.

In response, the prosecution insisted Soldier F was part of a group of paratroopers entering a courtyard in the Bogside area of Derry before shooting at “unarmed civilians” and running away.

Each soldier fired with an intention to kill, they argued.

Delivering his ruling on the defence’s bid, Mr Justice Fowler said on Friday they had failed to convince the court the evidence against Soldier F was “tenuous in character”.

This was the first time Soldier F was at court in person since the prosecution against him was taken, with the veteran sitting in the witness box behind a curtain to keep his anonymity intact.

The judge agreed to extend his right to remain hidden after his defence team argued he would be a “prized target” for dissident republicans.

Relatives of Bloody Sunday victims watched proceedings from the public gallery of the court, while Mr McKinney’s brother Michael spoke outside afterwards.

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“We are very pleased that Soldier F’s application was refused and he will now proceed rightly for trial,” he said.

“We are disappointed, however, the judge has granted his application for anonymity.”

The judge said he saw no reason why the trial could not take place “early next year”, with a date set to be fixed at a review hearing on 24 January.

“We’ll try to get a trial as soon as possible,” he said.