A witness told the Bloody Sunday Inquiry yesterday that Derry's police chief told him the morning after the Bogside killings that the British army's plan for the day was to "take out two or three soft targets" in a bid to provoke a gun battle with the IRA.
Businessman, Mr Brendan Duddy, told the inquiry into the killings by paratroopers of 13 civilians during a civil rights march in Derry on January 30th, 1972, that the RUC's then chief superintendent in the city, Mr Frank Lagan, had also asked him several days before the march to "use my skills" to get assurances from both wings of the IRA that no member of either of the paramilitary groups would carry weapons during the march.
Mr Duddy, the 921st and final witness to give evidence to the inquiry which has lasted 432 days, said that ten days before the march, Mr Lagan, his close personal friend, told him he was "very worried about the possibility of armed paramilitaries being involved in the march".
The witness said Mr Lagan asked him to get assurances from both the Provisional and Official IRA that none of their members would take part in the march and that all paramilitary weapons would be removed from the vicinity of the march.
Mr Duddy said he spoke to Mr Malachy McGurran who was associated with the Official IRA who told him that there would be no shooting, but that Official IRA members would be allowed to march. He then went to Co Roscommon and met with Mr Ruarí Ó Brádaigh, then president of Sinn Féin.
"I got exactly the same reaction from Ruarí Ó Brádaigh that I did from Malachy McGurran. Ruarí did not see the point of seeking assurances about weapons because it was well known that the Provisionals' policy was not to engage the armed forces during marches," he told the inquiry's three judges.
Mr Duddy said he gave details of these conversations to Mr Lagan who he said was "non-committal" and said "that's fine", however he added that Mr Lagan was "constantly worried about the march in the period leading up to it".
The witness said that after the shooting of 27 people by paratroopers, Mr Lagan arrived at his home. "I was very angry at the loss of life and I knew that the city was heading for a very difficult period.
"When Frank Lagan came to see me, I was in something of a dilemma. I did not know at that stage that he had not been in any position to influence to control events. Basically I was saying to him: 'how did you let it happen?'
"He told me that the army had decided to take out two or three soft targets in the area of the High Flats with the intention of provoking a firefight with the IRA.
"These were virtually his exact words. I remember the phrase 'taking out' in particular. It sticks in my mind. I was appalled. I could not accept that a human being would kill another human being indiscriminately," he added.
Mr Duddy said he was aware that Mr Lagan, who is too ill to give evidence but who submitted a statement, had a different recollection of events. "I felt that by coming forward and giving my evidence, I would somehow be calling into question the integrity of Frank Lagan which is not my intention or wish.
"I discussed my predicament with a sister in Holy Orders and she pointed out to me that I had a duty to come forward. She also pointed out that it is not up to me to try and explain any inconsistencies which may arise in the evidence which I give and the evidence which has been given by Frank Lagan." The inquiry was adjourned until October 4th.