Ex-soldier taken ill in witness box

A former soldier became ill while in the witness box at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry yesterday, forcing the session to finish early…

A former soldier became ill while in the witness box at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry yesterday, forcing the session to finish early.

Lance Bombardier 145 fell ill approximately 45 minutes into his evidence about the January 1972 shootings in which British paratroopers killed 13 unarmed men on a Londonderry civil rights march.

Lance Bombardier 145, who was in 11 Sphinx Battery of the 22nd Light Air Defence Regiment that day, became ill as he was speaking.

Lord Saville, the inquiry chairman, immediately called for a break in the proceedings at 11.22 a.m.

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Lance Bombardier 145 was taken to the witness liaison room at the Westminster Central Hall, central London, where the military evidence is being heard. Lord Saville made a brief statement 11.45 a.m.

He said: "It appears our witness INQ 145 has become unwell. It seems obviously necessary that he should seek medical advice and, accordingly, we will not continue his evidence today. "We will review the position in due course in light of the any developments."

Lance Bombardier 145 was helping to man the barriers on Bloody Sunday. He was on his second tour of Northern Ireland.