Inquiry hears of victims' wounds

Soldiers fired live rounds during Bloody Sunday

A doctor has told the Bloody Sunday inquiry that some of the men killed may have been shot by "dum-dum" bullets.

The Saville Inquiry is examining the events of 30 January 1972 when 13 civilians were shot dead by British paratroops after a civil rights march in Londonderry. A 14th person died later.

Dr Raymond McClean, who attended most of the post mortem examinations, said the wounds suggested some of the victims may have been killed by bullets which were deliberately tampered with to cause more damage on impact.

The tribunal's medical experts say some of the victims were hit by bullets which probably hit something or someone else beforehand.

Campaign

But they also say it is possible that one of the men, Barney McGuigan, was killed by a dum-dum bullet.

The inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville of Newdigate, was established in 1998 by British Prime Minister Tony Blair after a campaign by families of those killed and injured.

The new inquiry has been sitting in public in Derry's Guildhall 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.