Ex-IRA man 'saw youth shot'

The tribunal is entering the final stages of hearing evidence

A former member of the Provisional IRA saw a youth being shot on Bloody Sunday, the Saville Inquiry has heard.

Provisional IRA Man 14 said on Wednesday that he saw Hugh Gilmour clutching his stomach and shouting that he had been hit, before running a short distance and falling.

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

Provisional IRA Man 14 said he was not armed, as orders had been given that no IRA member was to have a gun on the day.

The witness was giving evidence to the tribunal on Wednesday after being issued with a subpoena ordering him to attend.

Evidence

The inquiry is to continue its sessions at the Guildhall in Londonderry for a number of weeks until all the remaining witnesses have been heard.

When the oral evidence ends, the inquiry will move into the closing stages including submissions and the closing speech by counsel to the inquiry.

These closing stages are likely to last for some months, after which the tribunal will retire to write their report.

Publication of the report will take place towards the end of 2004 at the earliest.

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

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.