THE PROSECUTION of a soldier for the murder of two men on Bloody Sunday is to resume on Tuesday, according to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) of Northern Ireland.
Proceedings against the man, known as Solder F, were initially dropped in July 2021.
However, the PPS now intends to reactivate proceedings after a fresh review of the case.
Soldier F is being prosecuted for the murders of James Wray, 22, and William McKinney, 28, on January 30, 1972.
The men were two of 13 civilians shot dead during a civil rights march in Derry, while the death of a 14th man several months later was attributed to the gunshot injuries he sustained that day.
Soldier F is also facing five charges of attempted murder in relation to Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon, Patrick O'Donnell and a fifth unknown person.
'Difficult and complex'
"The PPS has written to representatives of the families and victims directly involved in the prosecution of Soldier F to confirm this decision," said Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Michael Agnew.
"We have offered to meet with the families to answer any questions they may have and to outline the next steps to be taken to progress the case.
"Soldier F's legal representatives have also been informed.
"I am very conscious of the upset caused to the Bloody Sunday families by the PPS decision to withdraw proceedings against Soldier F last year.
“It is our role to keep under review the evidence presented in every case.
"This case has presented difficult and complex legal issues for prosecutors, as was acknowledged by the Divisional Court.
"The PPS is committed to progressing court proceedings against Soldier F without any further delay."
Overruled
The PPS initially dropped proceedings following the collapse of a May 2021 trial against two other former soldiers for Troubles-era offences.
It was ruled that evidence against the soldiers, known as Soldier A and Soldier C, was inadmissible due to how it was obtained.
However, the PPS decision to drop proceedings against Solder F was overruled in March by the Divisional Court of the High Court in Belfast.
The PPS sought to refer this decision to the Supreme Court, but this too was rejected by the Divisional Court earlier this month, leading the PPS to review its case and recommence proceedings.
The Soldier F prosecution is now listed for review at Londonderry Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, September 27, after which it is expected that the committal hearing will move towards completion.
