Bloody Sunday families reject comment that Soldier F should not be imprisoned

A number of Bloody Sunday families have rejected a statement by a sister of one of those killed in 1972 that Soldier F should not be imprisoned if he is convicted of murder.

Kate Nash, whose 19-year-old brother William was shot dead on Bloody Sunday, said earlier this week that the majority of families did not wish to see Soldier F imprisoned.

Ms Nash told the Belfast News Letter she did not want to see Soldier F jailed if convicted of any of the charges he faced. “That would be my experience of most of the families,” she said

Soldier F, a former British paratrooper is due to appear at Derry Magistrate's Court in September charged with the murders of William McKinney (26) and Jim Wray (22).

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He is also expected to be charged with the attempted murder of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick O'Donnell who were injured when soldiers fired on a civil rights demonstration in Derry in January 1972.

Solicitor Ciaran Shiels issued a statement which he said represented the views of most of the families directly related to the forthcoming Soldier F prosecution.

Mr Shiels said that Ms Nash did not speak for the majority of the Bloody Sunday families. “There is no factual basis for her assertions concerning the views of the majority of families, which have caused outrage,” he said.

“It is also an extraordinary position for Kate to adopt by suggesting that even if Soldier F is convicted of murder he should not be imprisoned. This proposition has no legal basis as the only sentence that a court can pass upon conviction for murder is one of life imprisonment,” he added.

Thirteen people were killed on Bloody Sunday with a 14th victim dying some months later.