Bloody Sunday: Soldier F hearing may move to Belfast

James Wray and William McKinney were among 13 people shot dead at a civil rights march on 30 January 1972.

A key hearing for a soldier charged in relation to Bloody Sunday may be held in Belfast, a court in Londonderry has heard.

The man, known only as Soldier F, faces two counts of murder and five of attempted murder.

The veteran, now aged in his sixties, was not in Londonderry Magistrates court for a brief hearing on Friday.

He is charged with the murders of James Wray and William McKinney in 1972.

The court heard that the groundwork had been laid for the committal hearing and authorities were moving towards a date being set.

District judge Barney McElholm said dates for the hearing were being looked at and a suitable venue also had to be determined.

More than 20 relatives of the two men sat quietly in the public gallery for the short hearing.

Thirteen people were killed and 15 wounded on Bloody Sunday

Four of the attempted murder charges relate to the wounding of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick O'Donnell.

The fifth relates to persons unknown.

Judge McElholm said Derry's court room four had its limitations in terms of accommodation and acoustics.

He added that people needed to be able to hear what was going on and said there were also security considerations.

He said "I'm afraid Belfast looks like the venue."

But the district judge said he was willing to listen to representations and did not want to impose moving to proceedings to Belfast on anyone.

Soldier F was not present at Londonderry Magistrates' Court

At an earlier hearing, it was disclosed that up to 25 witnesses could be called to give evidence in what was described as a complex case.

Thirteen people were killed and 15 wounded when members of the Army's Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in Derry on Sunday, 30 January 1972.

The day became known as Bloody Sunday.

The Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service decided in March last year that Soldier F, as he was known at the Bloody Sunday public inquiry, would be the only former soldier to be charged.

Families had asked for that ruling by the PPS to be reviewed and for more soldiers to face charges.

The hearing was adjourned until 7 February.