Woman tells inquiry of 'brave' victim

Thirteen people died in Bloody Sunday shootings

A woman who witnessed some of the most harrowing scenes of Bloody Sunday broke down as she described what she saw on the day.

The Saville Inquiry, at Londonderry's Guildhall, was adjourned briefly on Monday as Geraldine McBride wept when she was shown a picture of Barney McGuigan lying dead in a pool of blood.

Mr McGuigan was shot in the head close to where Mrs McBride was standing.

Lord Saville of Newdigate is heading the inquiry to examine the events of 30 January 1972.

Thirteen Catholic men were shot dead by British soldiers during a civil rights march in the city that day. A 14th person died later.

Lord Saville: Heading inquiry

Photographs of Mr McGuigan's body are regarded as being among the defining images of Bloody Sunday.

Last week, the inquiry heard that Mrs McBride cradled another of the victims, Hugh Gilmour, 17, as he lay dying on the forecourt of the Rossville Flats in Derry's Bogside after Army Paratroopers moved in and opened fire.

Her written statement described how father-of-six Mr McGuigan, 41, was shot in the head as he tried to tend to another fatally injured victim, Paddy Doherty.

Mr Doherty was crying out that he did not want to die alone amidst the gunfire.

She stated: "Barney McGuigan, one of the men huddled at the wall with me, was a community man and was generally looked up to.

'Brave'

"After a short time Mr McGuigan said that he could not stand the sound of the man calling any longer and that if he went out waving a white hanky they would not shoot at him.

"We tried to dissuade him from going out. We told him they would shoot him.

"However, he was brave and he stepped away from us holding the white hanky in his hand.

"He walked out slowly sideways in an arc towards where we thought the sound was coming from.

"He stepped out about 10 to 12 feet away from us.

"All the time he was walking I could see the left-hand side of his face."

'Distinct shots'

Mrs McBride said she had called to Mr McGuigan to come back, but that he continued walking towards Mr Doherty.

"I could see bullets going past us and Mr McGuigan from all directions although I did not hear automatic fire," she said.

"I remember hearing two distinct shots. After the first one Mr McGuigan turned back towards us and, although I cannot be certain, I think he turned his whole body and not just his face.

"The second shot hit him and blew his head up."

The inquiry has been sitting in public in Derry since March 2000.

Military personnel are expected to begin giving evidence to the inquiry early next year.

Meanwhile, lawyers acting for the Bloody Sunday soldiers have applied for a judicial review of the tribunal's decision that the soldiers should give their evidence in Derry.

The lawyers expect to hear shortly whether or not their application will be allowed.

The inquiry decided last month that the soldiers' safety could be secured if they gave their evidence in the Guildhall.