A former British soldier heard a colleague open fire without issuing a warning on Bloody Sunday, the Saville Inquiry was told today.
The soldier known as INQ 631 said Lance Bombardier Z, who had been standing next him, said he fired because he had identified a gunman in a window.
"I looked across to these buildings but could not see a gunman or anything unusual. I had not seen his bullet strike and he did not say whether or not he thought he had hit the gunman," he told the Saville Inquiry.
INQ 631, a former gunner in the Light Air Defence Regiment said he did not recall any shots being directed at them before Lance Bombardier Z fired his weapon.
He added: "But I am sure he would not have opened fire unless he thought that either he or one of his colleagues was in danger. He would have operated in accordance with the rules of engagement set out in the Yellow Card."
Lance Bombardier Z, who has still to give evidence, has given a statement to the Inquiry claiming he hit a gunman after being fired upon.
In his statement he claimed he "scored a hit" after identifying a man with a gun in a window in Abbey Street in the Bogside.
"The tracer hit the centre of the gunman's body in the bottom left-hand corner of the window and I knew I had scored a hit. The man fell backwards into the building."
Counsel to the Inquiry Cathryn McGahey asked INQ 631 if he recalled any such details.
He replied: "No, when I asked him (Lance Bombardier Z) what he was firing at, he directed me to a location and I had no recollection of seeing any particular part of a body hanging from a window or placed near the window."
INQ 631 was part of a group of soldiers who had been manning a barrier in Sackville Street during the civil rights march. He recalled marchers began shouting abuse and hurling rocks and debris at the barrier.
He said that during the disturbance, reinforcements from the Parachute Regiment joined them at the barrier, which was then moved aside to allow them to move into Little James Street on the edge of the Bogside.
"I had not heard any gunfire before the paras went through the barrier but there was a lot of noise coming from the crowd in front of us so I assumed there could have been some," he said.
PA