British army got away with murder, says McGuinness

The British Army got away with murder on Bloody Sunday, Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness claimed today.

As Mr McGuinness prepared to give evidence at the tribunal in Derry investigating the shootings which left 13 men dead, he said he could not get into the witness box soon enough.

No date has been set for his appearance.

"As far as I am concerned the British Army got away with murder on Bloody Sunday and they are presently trying to get away with murder at the tribunal" Mr Martin McGuinness

Mr McGuinness, who today submitted a draft statement to the Saville Inquiry, said: "As far as I am concerned the British Army got away with murder on Bloody Sunday and they are presently trying to get away with murder at the tribunal.

"The people of Derry are involved in a battle here with the British establishment, the British Ministry of Defence. The relatives are in the front line of that battle. The people who were injured are in the front line of that battle and I intend to stand with the people of Derry."

Mr McGuinness, the MP for Mid Ulster, said it would not be appropriate at this stage to discuss his statement to the investigation.

It's understood he intends to admit to being the IRA's number two in Derry on the day of the shootings, but will categorically deny the Provisionals opened fire on British Paratroopers and also reject claims he fired the first shot.

He told the BBChis testimony would be important.

"The statement that I am making to the tribunal concerns the events in Derry on Bloody Sunday. The tribunal taking place in Derry's Guildhall is the Bloody Sunday Tribunal. There will be attempts to divert attention away from that, to distract people unto other matters," he said.

"All we can say at this stage is that this is a very important tribunal and I will be giving my evidence and I do expect there will be criticism from the Unionists. How would it be any different?

"That's the way the DUP are. They are opposed to progress. They are opposed to truth. They are opposed to justice and they are opposed to any attempt being made which would, if you like, place the responsibility for the events of that day, where the responsibility lies, i.e. on the British Army and their political masters."