Bloody Sunday operation 'a dry run'

Thirteen civilians died after being shot by paratroopers

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry has been told paratroopers who opened fire on a civil rights march in Londonderry on 30 January, 1972 did not set out to kill that day.

Journalist Brian Cashinella said the military operation on Bloody Sunday was intended "quite clearly" to be a dry run for the reclamation of the Free Derry no-go area - which happened six months later in Operation Motorman.

Then a reporter with the London based Times newspaper, Mr Cashinella said army briefings in the days running up to the anti-interment demonstration in Londonderry's Bogside signalled "something rather special" was planned for it.

"It was quite clear that the whole Free Derry idea was unacceptable to the British Government in London and they were going to do something about it," he said.

'Free Derry idea unacceptable'

Giving evidence to the Saville Inquiry in Derry's Guildhall on Wednesday, Mr Cashinella said he saw nothing in the actions of civilians in the city's Bogside to merit the shooting dead of 13 men and youths.

British soldiers in Derry on Bloody Sunday

Asked about an interview with him in which he backed the theory that troops had not gone in intending to kill people, but had ended up doing so, he said that was still his view.

He also told the tribunal Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford, the CO of the troops sent into the Bogside that day, appeared shocked by what had happened when he gave a press briefing afterwards.

"I think he honestly thought there were three or four people injured although I think he suspected that something rather greater had happened - he was being very economical with what he was telling us," he said.

They didn't anticipate anything like this at all

Brian Cashinella

Mr Cashinella told the Inquiry that after the shootings political figures in London reacted with horror.

"They didn't anticipate anything like this at all. They were amazed and saddened by it," he said.

Mr Cashinella said he saw no live rounds being fired but heard two bursts of gunfire he recognised as shooting from self-loading rifles, the weapons paratroopers were carrying that day.

At one stage one trooper warned him to be careful of a sniper in the Rossville Flats.

"I could see the Rossville Flats clearly from where I was located but could not see any sniper," he said.

Mr Cashinella added that he did not see any paratrooper fire their weapon, or come under fire.

'I could hear men saying Rosary'

Also on Wednesday a woman aged 16 on Bloody Sunday described how she thought she was going to die as a bullet skimmed the ground beside her.

Mary Deirdre Brown told the Inquiry she had been running from paratroopers and arrived in a street east of Free Derry Corner.

When there she said someone shouted there was shooting from the walls.

She said: "Because I was lying facing towards the walls I was afraid I would be shot in the head.

"Behind me I could hear a number of men saying the Rosary and I could also hear men crying and saying `They are going to kill us'."