A former soldier has claimed one of his British army colleagues "lost the plot" on Bloody Sunday when he fired between 10 and 20 live shots in the Bogside.
In 1972, the former soldier (identified as INQ 444) was a corporal in the first battalion of the Parachute regiment. At yesterday's (Thursday) hearing of the Saville Inquiry, he recalled an incident near Rossville Street when he claimed a fellow soldier – possibly Soldier H – opened fire towards the Rossville flats complex. INQ 444 said: "I remember that the soldier was standing up and he was holding his rifle under his arm at a position between his shoulder and his waist... "I personally thought that he was being stupid firing as he did. I think he fired more than 10, less than 20... It is my opinion that he was phased out by the situation, was frightened and he had lost the plot," the witness said.
While the witness identified the fellow soldier as Soldier H, he said he did not know the soldier but came to the conclusion that it was him.
If he is correct in his identification of Soldier H, the witness was referring to the only soldier individually criticised in 1972 by Lord Chief Justice Widgery.
In his discredited report, Lord Widgery stated that he did not believe a claim by Soldier H that he opened fire at a gunman who appeared at a window and withdrew before appearing again a total of 19 times.
