The trial of Soldier F, who is charged with murder and attempted murder on Bloody Sunday, began yesterday in Belfast.

Soldier F, who was a member of the British Army’s Parachute Regiment, cannot be named by order of the Court.

He is charged with the murders of James Wray and William McKinney, along with five counts of attempted murder.

Freelance journalist Amanda Ferguson said, “there was a sadness yesterday about the proceedings”.

“The families spoke ahead of the trial starting, just about their long road to justice, and that this was sort of a smidgen of accountability in the wider context,” she told The Pat Kenny Show.

“The trial is going to have a very narrow focus; it focuses just on the courtyard area of Glenfada Pary in Derry’s Bogside and a small group of soldiers and how they operated within that area.

“As well as the supporters of the families and various victims' groups, there was also a small number of former British Army veterans who were there to support the defendant.”

Supporters of soldier F stand outside of Belfast Crown Court, where the trial of a former paratrooper accused of the murder of two men on Bloody Sunday is taking place, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

Proceedings are on pause for today, with military and civilian evidence expected to be heard once the trial resumes.

“For yesterday it was just really the prosecution outlining the case, saying that the deaths were, and the violence was, unjustified, unnecessary, gratuitous, and that it was done with an intent to kill,” Ms Ferguson said.

“Then in the afternoon we heard a statement read out from the now deceased civil rights leader Ivan Cooper.

“He talked in his statement about his feelings of responsibility for bringing the people of Derry onto the streets for a march that day.”

Veteran Northern Ireland Civil Rights leader Ivan Cooper. ©George Sweeney/Alamy. 11 August 2016

Ms Ferguson said there is “an unusual setup" in the courts in order to maintain Soldier F’s anonymity.

“The dock in court at Laganside is glass all the way around to the public galleries behind it,” she said.

“But half the dock was curtained off with black curtains that actually looked sort of like industrial shower curtains.

“It was obvious that the Soldier F was sitting in the middle of that, but he wasn’t able to see anything, and obviously nobody’s able to see him because of anonymity.

“Then discussions were raised about how that would work whenever it’s going to be witnesses and he would need to see them and so on.”

Ms Ferguson said “there’s various debate” about the need to preserve Soldier F’s anonymity.

According to Ms Ferguson, if Soldier F were to be found guilty, it isn’t clear what the limitations of the sentence could be.

Main image: (From left) Mickey McKinney, solicitor Ciaran Shiels, Joe McKinney, Gerry Duddy holding an image of brother of Jackie Duddy, John McKinney, Tony Doherty and John Kelly walking to Belfast Crown Court, where the trial of a former paratrooper accused of the murder of two men on Bloody Sunday is taking place. Image: Monday September 15, 2025. PA Images