The inquiry heard yesterday that a key military witness has recently modified his earlier unshakeable evidence that a man he shot and wounded on Bloody Sunday had a smoking nail bomb in his hand.
Counsel for a number of British soldiers revealed that one, identified only as Lieut N, now says he may have been wrong in his belief, honestly held at the time, that the man he shot had a nail bomb.
The significant development came during evidence by Mr Michael Bridge, who is believed to have been shot by Lieut N as he approached soldiers in the Rossville Flats car park immediately after the shooting of a youth, Jackie Duddy.
Lieut N repeatedly maintained, in evidence and during cross-examination at the 1972 Widgery Tribunal, that the man he shot was about to throw a nail bomb. However, in a signed statement which he has supplied to this inquiry and which has been circulated to all the legal representatives, this officer states: "Unpicking the incident over the years, I expressed my self-doubt to Eversheds [inquiry solicitors] that I was not now sure he had a nail bomb."
He adds, however, that "I am now and have always been convinced that at the moment that I fired I thought he was in the act of throwing a nail bomb". Numerous witnesses have described Mr Bridge approaching a soldier with his hands outstretched and shouting something like "shoot me, don't shoot the priest [Father Daly]", whereupon he was shot in the leg.
In evidence yesterday, Mr Bridge said he did not recall what he was shouting to the soldier "but I was certainly giving him a mouthful". He told Mr Christopher Clarke QC, for the tribunal, he was "simply livid with rage" after seeing the body of Mr Duddy.
His counsel, Mr Declan Morgan QC, asked him for his view on the fact that lawyers for the soldiers had indicated they would not make any case against him. Mr Bridge said he had heard Mr Edwin Glasgow QC, for the soldiers, put that position, "but the fact remains that from 1972 until now, I have been very publicly accused of being a nail bomber".
Mr Bridge queried the relevance of a question about an old conviction against him in England. Mr Clarke said significant convictions against witnesses, civilians or soldiers might bear on their credibility. Mr Bridge asked if such information would be adduced "in a clear and precise way" in relation to the identity of the soldiers" (who have been granted anonymity).
Mr Bridge told the chairman, Lord Saville, that he and the families of other victims welcomed the inquiry. However, he added, "if you are not allowed to keep this inquiry as open as possible, I think the purpose will be defeated".
Mr Sean Canney gave evidence that when he showed press credentials to Col Derek Wilford, the OC of the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, at an army barrier in William Street, the colonel said: "I advise you to stay on this side of the barricade today."
Mr Canney also repeatedly asserted that he saw a paratrooper open fire towards a fleeing crowd in the Rossville car park while still sitting in the back of an armoured personnel carrier.
The inquiry will resume on Tuesday.