‘Gratuitous’ use of force on Bloody Sunday disgraced British army, trial told

Families of Bloody Sunday victims hold a protest outside Belfast crown court. Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP

Soldiers disgraced the British army by targeting unarmed civilians in an “unjustified” and “gratuitous” use of force on Bloody Sunday, the murder trial of an army veteran has heard.

The shooting by the former paratrooper and his comrades was “unnecessary” and had a profound impact on Northern Ireland, a prosecutor told Belfast crown court on Monday at the opening of the long-awaited trial.