Inquiry witness seeks anonymity

The inquiry is sitting at the Guildhall in Londonderry

A man applying to give evidence to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry anonymously has denied he was an IRA member who fired shots in Londonderry that day.

On Tuesday, the tribunal sitting in the city's Guildhall heard his application to give evidence anonymously behind screens.

The man, known as Witness X, said his name and face is known to many people and he could be killed by republican or loyalist paramilitaries if his identity is revealed.

The inquiry is examining the events of 30 January 1972 when 13 civilians were shot dead by British paratroopers during a civil rights march. A 14th person died later.

'Police interview'

Witness X is alleged to have told the police during an interview that he was in action on Rossville Street in the Bogside on Bloody Sunday and fired shots from a carbine rifle.

On Tuesday, counsel to the inquiry Christopher Clarke QC said the document referring to this came from the BBC, but he did not know where the BBC got it from.

Mr Clarke said the witness was now saying that he was not a member of the IRA.

The witness said he was at home on Bloody Sunday, knew nothing about shots fired that day [by the IRA] and also knew nothing about an interview he allegedly gave to the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

The tribunal is not expected to make a decision on the application until next week.

The inquiry has the power to subpoena people to give evidence. If it rules that Witness X will not have anonymity to give evidence, the witness could challenge this in the courts.

A group of soldiers who fired shots on Bloody Sunday has already secured the right to give evidence to the inquiry anonymously after a court battle.

Meanwhile, two High Court judges in London are still considering whether it is fair and lawful to ask 36 former and serving soldiers to travel to Northern Ireland to give evidence.

The soldiers are challenging the tribunal's ruling that they must travel to Derry because they say they fear they will be in danger from attack.

The soldiers have always argued that they were fired on by IRA men before they opened fire, but this is disputed by many witnesses and relatives of those killed and injured.

'Soldier shot fallen man'

Meanwhile, on Tuesday the inquiry heard more evidence from witnesses.

Paddy McCauley, who was 16 on Bloody Sunday, said that he saw a soldier put his foot on the body of a fallen man and shoot him dead at point-blank range

Mr McCauley, who described himself as one of the "hard core" rioters in the city, said he saw the soldier shoot the man at Glenfada Park North.

He said after the soldier shot the man, who he now knew was Jim Wray who died, the soldier fired towards himself and Gerard McKinney, who was also hit.

He said he now knew that man to be Jim Wray, one of the Bloody Sunday victims who was shot dead.

Another witness Pat Moyne said he saw Jim Wray being shot after he went to see what was happening at the march after he had been arrested and released by the army that day.

Gerry McLaughlin, who was 16 at the time of Bloody Sunday, said he and friend Danny McCluskey were among a group who had attended the march but fled with the crowds when the shooting started.

He said his friend reacted to the shots by laughing hysterically.

Mr McCluskey was given psychiatric treatment in hospital after the shootings, but now did not recognise his close childhood friend because of his mental trauma, Mr McLaughlin told the inquiry.

No prosecutions

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry was established in 1998 by Prime Minister Tony Blair after a campaign by families of those killed and injured.

They felt that the Widgery Inquiry, held shortly after the shootings, did not find out the truth about what happened on Bloody Sunday.

The new inquiry has been sitting in public for more than a year and is expected to run for another two years.

Witnesses to the inquiry are immune from prosecution on issues arising from their evidence. It is aimed solely at establishing the facts of what happened.