Ex-priest 'saw men and youths shot'

A former Catholic priest today described Army gunfire felling men and youths all around him in terrifying scenes on Bloody Sunday.

Professor Terence Micheal O’Keeffe told the Saville inquiry into the killings that he witnessed the shootings of six casualties within feet of him and said he saw as many as four other bodies close by that day.

Then a lecturer in philosophy, Prof O’Keeffe claimed one seemingly wounded victim was dragging himself to safety and had nearly reached shelter when he was shot a second time.

Another three young men were running for their lives when they fell to the ground ‘‘in a row’’ as another burst of gunfire rang out, he said.

Giving evidence in the Guildhall, Derry, Professor O’Keeffe said: ‘‘At no stage did I see anything which remotely would have led to justified fire from the Army.’’