‘It was a kick in the teeth but the campaign will go on’

Edward Nash’s brother William (19) was shot and killed at the’ rubble barricade’ on Bloody Sunday. His father, Alexander, was shot and severely wounded as he tried to reach his son.

Commenting on the decision yesterday, Edward Nash said: “It was a kick in the teeth. What happened to all the public’s evidence that they gave? When I heard it, I was disgusted and the whole family is disgusted.

“I thought coming down here today they were all going to get off. At least there is one and the campaign will go on and maybe the next time they will actually take the evidence fromthe public.

“My father walked out with his hands in the air. Everybody was there, they saw it, journalists, you name it, they all saw it.”

Mr Nash said the events of Bloody Sunday had brought devastation, “not just what happened on that day, but what my father went through in the years after”.

“My father never wanted to talk about it. His whole life was destroyed. It not only affected him it affected us,” he added.

Jean Hegarty, whose brother Kevin McElhinney (17) was killed as he sought shelter at the rubble barricade, described yesterday as a “bit topsy turvy.”

She said: “I was disappointed to an extent, but hardly surprised - we have had a lot of knock backs.

“They said there wasn’t enough evidence in his case, and they had pinned it down to two soldiers. I might go back to the PPS for more of an explanation on that, but I am not expecting it to change anything. I’d just like a bit better understanding as well.”

Jean McElhinney said the decision to prosecute ‘Soldier F’ for two murders and four attempted murders was historic, but said she not want to see challenges to the decision nor any delays.