The shooting of civilians on Bloody Sunday by a former paratrooper and his platoon were “unjustified” and “gratuitous”, the veteran’s murder trial has heard.
Soldier F, who cannot be identified, is accused of murdering James Wray and William McKinney on 30 January 1972.
The day saw members of the Parachute Regiment shoot dead 13 civil rights protesters on the streets of Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
The veteran is also charged with five attempted murders during the incident in Derry’s Bogside area, namely of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon, Patrick O’Donnell and a person unknown.
He has pleaded not guilty to the seven counts.
Soldier F’s long-awaited trial began at Belfast Crown Court on Monday. The non-jury case is being heard by judge Patrick Lynch.
Before the trial began, the veteran was brought into the courtroom in the absence of the public and media and placed in a part of the dock surrounded by curtains.
Prosecution barrister Louis Mably KC said the events of Bloody Sunday had a “long-lasting and profound effect” on Northern Ireland.
He made clear the trial would have a “specific and narrow focus” on the shootings in a courtyard in Glenfada Park North.
“The defendant was part of a small group of soldiers who moved west from Rossville Street into that courtyard,” he said.
“At the far end civilians, fearful of the approach of the soldiers, began running across the courtyard towards a gap at one of the corners in order to escape.
“As they did so, soldiers acting together, and therefore with joint responsibility, opened fire with their self-loading rifles shooting at the civilians as they ran away.
“And the result was the casualties that I’ve described: two deaths and four men wounded.
“And the prosecution case is that that shooting was unjustified. The civilians in the courtyard did not pose a threat to the soldiers and nor could the soldiers have believed that they did.”
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Mr Mably said the civilians were “unarmed”, were “simply shot” and that “these soldiers lost control of themselves”.
“The shooting was unnecessary and it was gratuitous and it was carried out, given the weapon involved, with an intent to kill and, in any event, at the least with an intent to cause really serious harm,” he added.
The trial continues.
