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January 30th, 1972 remains among the most deadly – and momentous – days in three decades of unrest in the region.

Within the community of the incident – the memories of Bloody Sunday are visible on the walls and etched in people's minds.

A civil rights march was held on a wintry, sunny period in Derry.

The march was a protest against the policy of detention without trial – detaining individuals without legal proceedings – which had been established after three years of unrest.

Troops from the Parachute Regiment killed thirteen individuals in the neighborhood – which was, and remains, a predominantly republican area.

One image became especially memorable.

Pictures showed a religious figure, Father Daly, using a blood-stained white handkerchief in his effort to protect a group moving a teenager, the injured teenager, who had been killed.

Media personnel recorded considerable film on the day.

Historical records contains Fr Daly explaining to a reporter that soldiers "just seemed to discharge weapons randomly" and he was "absolutely certain" that there was no reason for the gunfire.

The narrative of events was rejected by the first inquiry.

The Widgery Tribunal concluded the military had been attacked first.

In the peace process, Tony Blair's government set up another inquiry, after campaigning by surviving kin, who said Widgery had been a cover-up.

In 2010, the conclusion by the inquiry said that on balance, the soldiers had discharged weapons initially and that zero among the casualties had been armed.

The then head of state, the leader, apologised in the Parliament – declaring killings were "improper and unjustifiable."

The police commenced investigate the events.

A military veteran, known as the defendant, was prosecuted for killing.

He was charged concerning the deaths of one victim, twenty-two, and twenty-six-year-old the second individual.

Soldier F was further implicated of trying to kill several people, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon, another person, and an unnamed civilian.

Exists a court ruling protecting the soldier's identity protection, which his attorneys have argued is essential because he is at risk of attack.

He testified the Saville Inquiry that he had only fired at people who were possessing firearms.

The statement was dismissed in the concluding document.

Evidence from the inquiry would not be used straightforwardly as proof in the legal proceedings.

In the dock, the accused was shielded from sight behind a protective barrier.

He addressed the court for the initial occasion in the proceedings at a proceeding in late 2024, to reply "not guilty" when the allegations were read.

Relatives of the victims on that day made the trip from Londonderry to the courthouse every day of the trial.

John Kelly, whose relative was killed, said they understood that hearing the case would be painful.

"I visualize the events in my memory," he said, as we walked around the primary sites mentioned in the trial – from Rossville Street, where Michael was fatally wounded, to the adjoining Glenfada Park, where James Wray and William McKinney were fatally wounded.

"It returns me to my position that day.

"I participated in moving my brother and put him in the vehicle.

"I went through the entire event during the evidence.

"But even with experiencing all that – it's still worthwhile for me."