Adjutant of Parachute Regiment on Bloody Sunday Mike Jackson dies
The former head of the British Army died at the age of 80, it has been confirmed
The former head of the British Army General Mike Jackson has died at the 80, it has been confirmed.
Jackson was the adjutant of the Parachute Regiment’s 1st battalion, he was present on Bloody Sunday on January 30, 1972 in Derry when paratroopers shot dead 13 people during a civil rights march.
He stated that he did not attempt any cover-up of the killing of the civilians.
In 2003, he gave evidence to the Saville inquiry regarding how he wrote up a note, in the aftermath of the shootings, regarding what soldiers said about why they had fired.
Jackson made a full apology for the shootings in 2011 and acknowledged the men had been killed “without justification” after the publication of the Saville inquiry’s report, which called the incident a ‘‘catastrophe’’ for Northern Ireland.
The father-of-three led the British Army during the allied invasion of Iraq in 2003 after serving in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.
A highly controversial figure, his death last night was met with fireworks being set off in the Bogside area of Derry.
Last year a mural in the Bogside depicting Jackson was erected, labelling the former army officer a 'war criminal'. The mural was subsequently removed after objections were raised by residents and some Bloody Sunday families.
More to follow...