The soldier who ordered the fatal shot which killed a 15-year-old boy in Derry- Londonderry 44 years ago today came face-to-face with the teenager’s family for the first time.
The soldier was giving evidence at a new inquest into the death of Manus Deery.
The teenager was standing with a group of teenage friends near the junction of Westland Street and Rossville Street when he was shot in May 1972.
He was struck in the head by a high velocity shot from a soldier stationed at a sentry post 200 yards away on Derry’s Walls overlooking the Bogside.
The original inquest into Manus’ death in 1973 returned an open verdict.
However, in 2012, the Attorney General, John Larkin, ordered that a fresh inquest into the shooting should take place.
That inquest has been taking place this week Derry’s courthouse.
At the opening day of the inquest on Monday, it was revealed that the soldier who fired the fatal shot had died in 2001.
He had been referred to previously as Soldier A.
However, following his death, the inquest was told, the soldier can now be named.
His name was William Glasgow.
Another soldier, known as Soldier B, who was also in the sentry 44 years ago, today began giving evidence to the inquest.
The soldier gave his evidence from behind a screen but was visible to the relatives of Manus Deery’s and the legal teams involved in the inquest.
The man admitted he only observed what he thought may have been a gunman for a couple of seconds before Private Glasgow took a shot.
Soldier B told the inquest: “Soldier A said, 'It looks like a person with a rifle, the next minute he let a round go'.”
The inquest continues.
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