PFC 12.45 19 Jan 2005
A wave of anger has swept through Derry following news of the arrest at 11.30am this morning of a Derry republican who had refused to co-operate with the Bloody Sunday Tribunal. The man, 54 year old Martin 'Ducksie'Doherty, faced contempt charges because of his refusal to attend and give evidence to the tribunal. On January 7 he was sentenced to three months jail at Belfast High Court and the arrest was carried out earlier today by a number of PSNI officers at his Creggan home. In court Mr Doherty, who believed that the Tribunal would not get at the truth of what happened on Bloody Sunday, shouted at the judge;
"I'm the only man to be punished for Bloody Sunday, it's a disgrace." Though relatives of those murdered on the day had called for co-operation with the Tribunal spokesman John Kelly had expressed anger at the sentence and branded the affair a 'scandal'.
"The fact is that a Derry man is going to jail over Bloody Sunday in spite of the way some British politicians and former soldiers treated the tribunal." Mr Kelly, whose brother was murdered on the day, pointed out that soldiers had refused to answer questions while one had refused to enter the witness box.
A protest is planned for Guildhall Square at 2pm today
The Bloody Sunday Trust has described as disgraceful the arrest of Derry man Martin Doherty today following his conviction for contempt for the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.
Michael McKinney, whose brother was murdered on Bloody Sunday, speaking immediately after the arrest of Mr Doherty said:
" It is disgraceful that after everything that has occurred at this Inquiry that the only person to be arrested and imprisoned to date will be a Derry man who clearly did not murder anyone on Bloody Sunday.
" It was not Martin Doherty who killed or wounded 28 people in Derry on the 30th January 1972 but of those who were responsible, none have been arrested and none have been imprisoned for their actions that day. Martin Doherty has shown a lot less contempt for this inquiry than those who took the stand and refused to answer questions or told downright lies.
" Indeed, if the judicial system had pursued those responsible for Bloody Sunday as they have pursued Mr Doherty, we would not have witnessed the whitewash of Widgery or needed this second Bloody Inquiry.