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Sunday 30 January 1972 remains arguably the most fatal – and momentous – dates during thirty years of violence in the region.

In the streets where it happened – the images of that fateful day are visible on the buildings and seared in people's minds.

A civil rights march was conducted on a chilly yet clear afternoon in Derry.

The demonstration was opposing the practice of detention without trial – detaining individuals without legal proceedings – which had been put in place after three years of violence.

Troops from the specialized division shot dead thirteen individuals in the neighborhood – which was, and continues to be, a strongly nationalist area.

A specific visual became especially iconic.

Photographs showed a clergyman, Fr Edward Daly, waving a bloodied fabric in his effort to protect a crowd transporting a teenager, the fatally wounded individual, who had been killed.

Media personnel recorded extensive video on the day.

Documented accounts contains Father Daly explaining to a journalist that military personnel "just seemed to discharge weapons randomly" and he was "absolutely certain" that there was no reason for the discharge of weapons.

This account of what happened was rejected by the original examination.

The Widgery Tribunal concluded the soldiers had been fired upon initially.

Throughout the resolution efforts, Tony Blair's government commissioned a new investigation, in response to advocacy by surviving kin, who said the first investigation had been a inadequate investigation.

In 2010, the findings by Lord Saville said that overall, the paratroopers had discharged weapons initially and that zero among the victims had presented danger.

The then government leader, the Prime Minister, issued an apology in the Parliament – declaring fatalities were "unjustified and unacceptable."

The police began to investigate the events.

One former paratrooper, identified as the defendant, was prosecuted for homicide.

He was charged concerning the killings of one victim, twenty-two, and 26-year-old another victim.

The defendant was also accused of seeking to harm Patrick O'Donnell, other civilians, more people, an additional individual, and an unnamed civilian.

Exists a court ruling maintaining the veteran's anonymity, which his attorneys have argued is essential because he is at risk of attack.

He testified the investigation that he had exclusively discharged his weapon at people who were possessing firearms.

That claim was disputed in the final report.

Evidence from the investigation was unable to be used directly as proof in the court case.

In the dock, the veteran was hidden from public with a protective barrier.

He made statements for the initial occasion in court at a session in late 2024, to respond "not responsible" when the accusations were put to him.

Family members of those who were killed on that day journeyed from Derry to Belfast Crown Court every day of the trial.

One relative, whose relative was killed, said they were aware that attending the case would be emotional.

"I can see everything in my memory," he said, as we visited the main locations mentioned in the proceedings – from Rossville Street, where Michael was fatally wounded, to the nearby Glenfada Park, where the individual and William McKinney were killed.

"It even takes me back to where I was that day.

"I participated in moving the victim and lay him in the ambulance.

"I experienced again the entire event during the proceedings.

"But even with having to go through all that – it's still worthwhile for me."