Soldier F case adjourned due to Covid-19 pandemic

A mixed committal hearing for the only soldier charged in connection with Bloody Sunday has been adjourned due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
By Theresa Casey
Published 25th Jun 2020, 12:10 BST
Court appearance.Court appearance.
Court appearance.

District Judge Ted Magill said the system used to conduct court business remotely is ‘not fit for purpose’ for a hearing of this kind.

He added that he was not prepared to put the health of Soldier F and other witnesses, who are over 70 and should be shielding, at risk.

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Soldier F is charged with the murder of James Wray and William McKinney on January 30, 1972.

He is also accused of the attempted murder of Joseph Friel, Joseph Mahon, Michael Quinn and Patrick O’Donnell on Bloody Sunday.

A further charge accuses Soldier F of the attempted murder of a person or persons unknown.

The mixed committal hearing had been provisionally listed to begin on July 16.

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Judge Magill said that everyone involved with the case ‘wish to proceed as expeditiously as possible’ but there are a number of issues.

He said there are a large number of witnesses required to give evidence and they will undoubtedly be asked to look at documents, photographs or maps.

The judge said with he system being used to conduct court hearings remotely that would be ‘very difficult, if not impossible’.

He added that legal teams would also be required to attend, as well as the defendant and any of his family members or friends and the families of the injured and deceased, who all have a ‘compelling interest and should be accommodated’.

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The judge said the system can only accommodate a maximum of 30 people and there are often difficulties with how it operates.

He said he has not dealt with a contested hearing via the remote system for a simple matter, never mind an ‘extremely important committal’.

Judge Magill said the system is ‘not fit for purpose for even a simple matter’.

The judge added: “The only way to deal with this is when we can get back to court and that isn’t going to happen by July 16.”

He adjourned the hearing with the ‘greatest reluctance’.

“We still don’t know when we are going to come to anything approaching a normal situation. As soon as we do I want to have this case listed,” Judge Magill said.