Man denies admitting he was gunman

Thirteen people died in Bloody Sunday shootings

A man who was injured on Bloody Sunday has denied he admitted to a soldier that day that he was a gunman.

Joe Friel, who was shot in the chest, told the inquiry that the allegation, made by a soldier known as 104, was absurd.

The Saville Inquiry is investigating the events of 30 January 1972 when paratroopers opened fired on civil rights marchers in Londonderry killing 13 men. Another man died later.

The soldier, a member of the Royal Anglian regiment, claimed Mr Friel made the admission in a car taking him to hospital in the aftermath of the shootings.

Mr Friel denied this and also rejected a statement by an RUC sergeant supporting the soldier's claim.

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The soldier stated that he said to the injured man: "That's what you get for playing with guns," to which Mr Friel replied: "I won't do that again."

However, Mr Friel said in his written statement, made public as he took the stand: "This is a complete fabrication."

The police officer said in an official record that Mr Friel "is the man from whom the army obtained a verbal admission of using/having a gun and I am convinced that he did admit this to the soldier".

Allegation

Mr Friel said: "At no time did he question me about the allegation made against me by the soldier.

"Although he was aware that I had my clothes with me in hospital, as one of the police officers moved the bag to sit beside the bed, he did not ask to remove them for forensic examination."

He added: "Apparently he thought he was dealing with a self-confessed gunman and yet at no time did he place me under guard or remove me to an army hospital or forensically swab my person."

Mr Friel was shot in Glenfada Park North, where two of the dead were killed.