Ex-IRA man tells Saville no nailbombs used

A former IRA explosives officer has told the Saville Inquiry he is positive the IRA did not use nail bombs on Bloody Sunday.

A former IRA explosives officer has told the Saville Inquiry he is positive the IRA did not use nail bombs on Bloody Sunday.

Commenting on claims that a tray of nail bombs were seen in Glenfada Park, the scene of many of the shootings, Mr Michael Clarke said: "If there were nail bombs, they were not ours. I do not think that the Official IRA used them.

"I am absolutely positive that none of our nail bombs were used on Bloody Sunday."

Mr Clarke spoke of his anger after 13 civilians were shot dead by British paratroopers in the Bogside area of Derry during a civil rights march in January 1972.

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If there were nail bombs, they were not ours. I do not think that the Official IRA used them.
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Mr Michael Clarke

"The feeling of anger and frustration is difficult to put into words," he said. "I then did something which I'm not proud of, I threatened to kill my sister who was pregnant at the time, because she was married to a British soldier. We've not spoken to each other for 30 years since then."

Mr Clarke said he had once asked his brother-in-law if he would shoot him in a riot if ordered to by his superiors. "He said that he would. I asked about his conscience. He told me he was not allowed to have a conscience."

PA