BLOODY SUNDAY INQUIRY: The second most senior police officer in Derry on Bloody Sunday 30 years ago said yesterday that he was not aware that co-operation between the police and the army aimed at identifying soldiers involved in the killings ended a few days after the announcement of the original Widgery inquiry into the death of 13 civilians and wounding of 13 others.
Retired superintendent Mr Patrick Mary McCullagh also said he knew nothing about a contemporaneous arrangement between both branches of the security forces that soldiers would be interviewed by the Royal Military Police (RMP) and civilians would be interviewed by the RUC.
Mr McCullagh (68) told the inquiry that such an arrangement was without his comprehension.
"I know nothing about it. I cannot agree with it or disagree with it. I know nothing about the GOC's and the chief constable's agreement. I do not know anything about the RMP and the RUC being sympathetic to soldiers."
The witness was then shown a letter, written six months after Bloody Sunday, on behalf of the then RUC chief constable Mr Graham Shillington, which referred to a police murder investigation into the death of the youngest of the victims, Jackie Duddy.
The 17-year-old was gunned down as he fled from advancing paratroopers alongside the then Father Edward Daly.
The letter, which was addressed to the Legal Registrar, stated: "There is no evidence to establish which member of the army fired the fatal shot, but it is clear that he had just dismounted from the APC (armoured personnel carrier) before doing so. In my opinion, he is clearly guilty of murder, but as he has not been identified, no further action can be taken."
Mr McCullagh said as far as he was aware none of the Bloody Sunday soldiers were interviewed about their actions on the day by the RUC.
When asked by Mr Arthur Harvey QC, for most of the victims' families, if even "in an abnormal society, if a senior officer comes to the conclusion that a person has been murdered by a number or by one of a number of identifiable people, would it not be normal practice for the police to interview him?"
Mr McCullagh replied that "the practice at that time was that the military police would interview the soldiers".
The witness added that as "the deputy commander of the police force in Londonderry at the time, I regret very much the loss of life that occurred that day. Under no circumstances did it ever occur to me that the events of that day would turn out as they did."