Soldier threatens not to give Saville evidence

One of the soldiers who fired on Bloody Sunday has threatened not to give evidence to the Saville Inquiry, it was revealed today.

Soldier L, who was due to give evidence tomorrow has been served with a subpoena ordering him to appear.

Tribunal chairman Lord Saville warned there would be serious consequences if the former paratrooper failed to turn up. It is believed he could face a jail term if he ignores the court order.

“We simply cannot countenance a failure to turn up for no apparent good reason,” Lord Saville said.

Rosamund Horwood-Smart QC of the Treasury Solicitor’s department told the tribunal that she had been informed by an instructing solicitor that Soldier L’s mental state appeared to be deteriorating.

“He was voicing an unwillingness to come before the Tribunal. We felt it was of course imperative to see him to reassure him and to get him back on side,” she said.

Lord Saville told the barrister to impress on the soldier the importance of his attendance and the consequences of not doing so.

“He has of course had very many weeks notice that he is required to attend tomorrow,” he added.

Soldier L was due to give evidence that he fired two shots at a gunman who was cradling a rifle behind the rubble barricade in Rossville Street.

In his statement to the tribunal he has also claimed he saw another soldier approach one of the bodies and riddle it with bullets from point blank range.