Derry councillor: Wilford 'should have been jailed for his role in the murder of 26 innocent civilians in Derry and Belfast'

A Derry City and Strabane District councillor has said Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford "should have been jailed for his role in the murder of 26 innocent civilians in Derry and Belfast".

Cllr Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) said under Wilford's command "1st Para murdered ten people in Ballymurphy, 14 in Derry and two in the Shankill."

Cllr Shaun Harkin added: "Wilford told the BBC that he could not recall the gunning down of 10 innocent people in Ballymurphy in three days. 

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"Wilford was the officer who led the paratroopers in the Bogside killing 14 people and wounding 15 others during Bloody Sunday. 

"He was also the officer who ignored the orders of his superior and sent his soldiers into the Shankill area, where they shot dead two Protestant men and wounded others.

"Wilford never expressed any remorse or accountability for his actions, and instead defended his soldiers and blamed the victims. He was rewarded with an OBE by the British government, while the families of the victims were denied the truth and justice they deserved for decades," said Cllr Harkin.

Shaun Harkin said People Before Profit rejected the Tory Legacy Bill that "would grant amnesty to those accused of killings during the Troubles and prevent any new investigations or prosecutions".

He added: "The British government must uphold its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and the Good Friday Agreement, and ensure that the families of the victims have access to effective remedies, including criminal accountability, truth recovery, and reparations.

"General Sir Michael Jackson the former top soldier in Britain should not be allowed to sleep easy in his bed. He is responsible for the cover-up and whitewash of the Bloody Sunday massacre.

"Jackson was the adjutant of the Parachute Regiment on Bloody Sunday, and he was involved in fabricating false accounts and evidence to justify the shootings. 

"We stand with the Bloody Sunday families in demanding that Jackson should face prosecution for his complicity in the Bloody Sunday massacre and subsequent cover-up. There will be no tears shed for Wilford in Derry but there are still tears shed everyday for those gunned down by his Para thugs."