A former Paratrooper has told the Saville Inquiry that soldiers gave comrades the "benefit of the doubt" when concluding that they fired live shots with justification.
The witness, identified as INQ1919 told the inquiry in London yesterday (Monday) he heard gunfire from Rossville flats area and "bangs and explosions including nail bombs and petrol bombs but I did not see anyone actually throwing them".
The former soldier said he heard three colleagues – identified as INQ 441, Corporal A and Private B – mention a nail bomber.
"I then heard I believe two more shots. I think that I heard three shots in total... I know that the shots were fired by Private B and Corporal A as they later admitted to having fired the shots," he said.
It is believed that the incident described by INQ 1919 was the shooting of Damien Donaghy (who survived) and John Johnston (who died months later).
The former soldier also claimed he heard Corporal A claim to have "made a hit".
Questioned by Arthur Harvey QC, for the majority of Bloody Sunday families, the witness admitted there was room for confusion or mistakes as to the nature of the explosions he heard.
He also agreed with counsel that soldiers should not fire live rounds at individuals unless there was justification for doing so.
Mr Harvey said: "When a soldier and a comrade fires a shot, those around him who know him will give him the benefit of the doubt in concluding that he fired with justification; is that not also correct?" The former soldier agreed.
