Manus Deery: Inquest names soldier who shot Londonderry teenager

The 15-year-old was eating chips before he died

The name of a soldier, who fired a shot that killed a Derry teenager in 1972, has been officially disclosed for the first time.

Manus Deery, 15, was killed yards from his home after a soldier fired from high above on the city walls.

The soldier maintained that he fired at what appeared to be a gunman about 200 metres away, missed, and the stray bullet killed the teenager.

A new inquest into his death identified the soldier as William Glasgow.

The Deery family have always disputed the Army's version of events and believe the teenager was killed unlawfully.

The jury in the original inquest in July 1973 returned an open verdict.

The Attorney General, John Larkin, ordered a new inquest into Manus Deery's death in 2012 but it was later delayed.

'Disputed'

On Monday, the counsel for the coroner's court in Derry said the soldier, who is now dead, was no longer entitled to anonymity.

He said soldier "A" could be identified as a Mr William Glasgow.

Another soldier, called soldier "B", cannot be named for legal reasons and is due to appear on Thursday.

The court also heard that a Special Branch assessment of Manus Deery found he was not a known terrorist and was not known to be involved in terrorist activity.

Civilian witnesses with the teenager said he was unarmed at the time he was killed and the court heard there was no lead residue on the hands of the deceased.

On the evening of his death, the court heard how the 15-year-old was celebrating getting his first pay packet after starting work in a local factory two weeks earlier.

The inquest is expected to last for two weeks.