Witness 'did not lie' says Lord Saville

Thirteen civilians were killed on Bloody Sunday

The Bloody Sunday inquiry has told a former policeman it did not believe he had lied in the witness box.

At Wednesday's sitting, junior counsel Fiona Doherty, acting for some of the victims families, suggested Robert Carson had concocted evidence.

She said an account he gave of cars ramming a barricade in Londonderry on Bloody Sunday was either identical or strikingly similar to that of another officer.

The lawyer said both accounts were at variance with other witnesses.

Lord Saville: Witness had not lied

Inquiry Chairman Lord Saville described the suggestion as "a very serious allegation" which to his mind was not supported by the material presented.

He then asked the former constable if he had made a statement "knowing it to be untrue".

"I have told this tribunal what I have seen with my own two eyes on that day and what I can remember," Mr Carson replied.

Mr Carson, who gave his evidence screened from public view like many other police witnesses, added he attended of his own free will and was "not taking too well" to be accused of lying.

Before he left the witness box, Lord Saville told him: "Any aspersions on your attempt to tell the truth are, in our judgment, quite unfounded.

"I think you should leave here in the belief that nothing we have heard suggests that you have done other than to try and tell the truth."

'Soldiers fired at'

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

In earlier evidence on Wednesday, Mr Carson told the inquiry he tended a soldier who had been shot.

The former constable said he heard firing and soldiers returning fire, suggesting the soldiers were shot at first.

Witness said Army were shot at first

"I heard a shot and the soldier's rifle appeared to go up. He shouted `I'm shot, I'm shot' and then staggered towards us dragging his SLR, which was strapped to his wrist, along the ground.

"I can remember examining his flak jacket. This had a scorch mark across it at about chest height and the bullet had broken the zip on the flak jacket.

"He was not injured. He was helped away by other soldiers."

Lord Saville of Newdigate and the commonwealth judges accompanying him on the Bloody Sunday inquiry began their work nearly four years ago.

They are not expected to report back until 2004.

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.