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Soldier F, whose identity remains protected by a court order, faced serious allegations including the murder of James Wray, aged 22, and William McKinney, aged 26, along with five counts of attempted murder. The path to trial was prolonged, spanning six years and involving numerous preliminary hearings in addition to a judicial review. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) revealed that their legal expenses up to this point have amounted to £362,552, covering the judicial review and the five-week trial held at Belfast Crown Court.
Additional legal fees are still being processed, making it difficult for the PPS to calculate the total cost of the prosecution. They explained that due to the absence of detailed timesheets for each case, it is impossible to present exact or average costs for such proceedings. The variation in time required for prosecution decisions and related administrative work depends on the unique complexity of each case. Nevertheless, the PPS confirmed that the fees paid to counsel are tracked as identifiable expenses.
Soldier F was accused of murder and attempted murder related to incidents occurring during Bloody Sunday in Londonderry. Ultimately, the soldier was acquitted of all charges in a trial that concluded in October. This trial did not involve a jury; instead, a judge heard the case over five weeks at Belfast Crown Court. To protect Soldier F’s anonymity, a court order ensured he was shielded from public view throughout the proceedings.
Notably, Soldier F was the only former military serviceman prosecuted for shootings on Bloody Sunday, although 18 soldiers had been referred to the PPS following the police investigation that stemmed from Lord Saville’s public inquiry. The attempted murder charges referenced the alleged targeting of teenagers Joe Mahon, 16, and Michael Quinn, 17, alongside Joseph Friel (20), Patrick O’Donnell (41), and one unidentified individual. The prosecution initially began in 2019 but was paused in 2021 after the trial of two other veterans accused of a 1972 Belfast murder collapsed. However, after a legal challenge, the case against Soldier F resumed in 2022
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