Bloody Sunday victim 'shot as he ran away'

One of the Bloody Sunday dead was shot by troops as he ran away - and his father was wounded trying to rescue him, it was claimed today.

Lettie Donnelly also told the Saville Tribunal that the body of William Nash, 19, was flung into the back of an armoured personnel carrier by the hair and feet as his father continued shouting out that his son had been shot.

Mrs Donnelly said she watched events from the Rossville Flats, overlooking the scene, claiming she saw the vehicle arriving in Derry’s Bogside directly beneath the window and saw two soldiers leap out and open fire.

‘‘When the soldiers started shooting, I saw a boy who had been running in the direction of the rubble barricade fall as he was shot.

‘‘I was stunned and could not believe the boy had been shot as he was running away.’’

The ‘‘boy’’ was William Nash, one of three men shot dead on the barricade.

Another three were fatally injured near it.

Mrs Stewart said she then saw the crouched figure of Mr Nash’s father, Alexander, approaching the barricade, facing the soldiers with his left arm raised shouting, ‘‘That’s my son, help me’’.

‘‘The shooting continued and Alexander Nash was hit in his raised left arm. I do not know where the shot which hit him came from and I cannot recall which way his arm fell.

‘‘He, however, remained crouched behind the rubble barricade and continued to call out that his son had been shot and that an ambulance should be called.’’

Later she said she saw the troop carrier drive up to the barricade to where the dead or dying Mr Nash lay.

‘‘Two soldiers picked up his body, one by the hair, the other by the feet, and threw him into the Saracen.

‘‘While the soldiers were throwing the boy’s body into the Saracen I could still hear Mr Nash shouting that his son had been shot.’’