Inquiry soldier 'received death threat'

Soldiers are giving evidence at the hearing in London

A former parachute regiment soldier has told the Bloody Sunday Inquiry he received a death threat shortly before the tribunal was set up.

Soldier 027, who has accused other soldiers of "shooting without justification", said a man came to his home in January 1998, mentioned Bloody Sunday and threatened him.

He said he did not know who the man was and would not speculate if it was an attempt by his former colleagues to silence him about Bloody Sunday.

Soldier 027 has been living under a witness protection scheme for two years because he was worried about possible reprisals.

Screened from the public the witness arrived at the inquiry

The tribunal is investigating the events of 30 January 1972 when the parachute regiment fired on civilians at a civil rights march in Derry, killing 13 men and boys. Another man died later.

Earlier on Thursday, the former soldier told the Saville Inquiry he made up his earliest accounts of what happened on Bloody Sunday so they did not reflect badly on the Army.

On his second day of testimony, Soldier 027 said he had lied to the military police when he gave his account of events days after the shootings.

On Wednesday, he said he did not see any gunmen or bombers in the Bogside where the shootings took place.

The soldier is giving his evidence screened from the relatives of those killed, the public and the media.

Lord Saville: Second inquiry was set up because of conflicting accounts

In his statement to the inquiry, he told the police he heard someone shout "sniper", saw a man with a firearm and a petrol bomber.

Questioned by counsel to the inquiry, the soldier said none of this was true.

He said he had fabricated his account because he felt at the time it was the appropriate and correct thing to do.

He also told the inquiry he had wanted to avoid doing anything that would reflect badly on the Army.

During his evidence on Wednesday, the soldier said just two soldiers were probably responsible for eight or 10 of the deaths.

He recalled that one colleague was "exuberant" as a display of firepower was unleashed against civilians.

Soldier 027's account is hotly contested with most of the soldiers expected to insist they only fired at gunmen or bombers or when they felt that they or their colleagues were at risk, when they give their evidence.

Hushed chamber hears soldier's evidence
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The inquiry has been sitting in Derry, but was moved to London to hear evidence from military witnesses following court action in which they argued they could be targeted by dissident republicans if they had to travel to Northern Ireland.

The Army has always maintained that it was fired on by IRA gunmen before it opened fired and this view was upheld by the Widgery Inquiry, held shortly after the shootings.

The relatives of those killed and injured have always denied that the Army were fired on before they opened fire.

The Saville Inquiry was set up by Prime Minister Tony Blair to reinvestigate the evidence because the relatives felt the first inquiry was a whitewash.

Lord Saville and the Commonwealth judges who comprise the inquiry, are not expected to report back until 2004.