Bloody Sunday QC to give closing speech

The Bloody Sunday tribunal will resume in Derry today to hear the closing speech by counsel to the inquiry Christopher Clarke QC.

Mr Clarke’s closing statement, which is expected to last two days, will be an overview of the issues the tribunal of three judges have to decide.

The speech is a brief summary of eight to 10 large volumes of written material collated after more than four years of evidence-gathering.

Mr Clarke will present an indication of the conclusions he feels can be made from the supporting evidence.

The leader of the Official IRA on Bloody Sunday had been due to give evidence today but pulled out through illness.

John White had been expected to say that the only shot fired by the Official IRA in the Bogside on Bloody Sunday was 15 minutes before the Army moved in.

He would have said that the shot was fired after one of the victims Jackie Duddy was shot dead at Rossville Flats.

The inquiry, which is expected to produce its final report next summer, is examining the events of January 30, 1972, when 13 unarmed civilians were shot dead by members of the Parachute Regiment.

The inquiry panel, chaired by Lord Saville, will then sit down to reach their own conclusions and write the final report.

The tribunal began taking evidence in March 2000, hearing oral evidence from 921 witnesses.

By February 2004, it had cost an estimated £130m (€185.2m).

It is expected to cost a total of £155m (€220.9m) by the time the final report is published.