A British soldier who shot and injured a widowed mother of 14 on Bloody Sunday cocked his rifle again - but walked away when she pleaded with him, the Saville Inquiry heard today.
The claim was made by Ms Helen Deery, daughter of Mrs Peggy Deery, who also said her wounded mother was helped indoors for treatment by 17-year-old Mr John Kelly, one of the 13 people shot dead the same day.
Mrs Deery was one of the first people to be shot when paratroopers opened fire in Derry's Bogside on January 30th, 1972 and was the only woman to suffer a bullet wound that day. She survived her injuries but has since died.
Giving evidence Ms Deery, then 13, said her mother had been widowed only three months earlier; her youngest child was aged just 10 months when she took part in the civil rights protest that ended with the killings.
Ms Deery told the inquiry she became separated from her mother as the crowd ran in panic from troops coming into the Bogside and ran to her grandmother's house, coming across the body of one of the dead and a long period of shooting on the way.
Her mother talked often about Bloody Sunday afterwards, saying she would never forget the face of the soldier who shot her in the leg at close range, the witness added.
"After he had shot her he had cocked his gun and she had said she was a widow with 14 wee ones. He then put his head down and walked away," Ms Deery said.
PA