Inquest into deaths of two Derry men told military squad car driver looked 'tense'

The inquest into the deaths of two Derry men shot dead in the grounds of Gransha Hospital on December 6 1984 has been told by a witness that she saw the driver of one of the cars used by the British Army squad and the driver looked 'tense'.

The witness, a woman who worked in the grounds of Gransha Hospital at the time, was giving evidence in the inquest into the deaths of William Fleming (19) from the Waterside and Daniel Doherty (23) from the Creggan area who were shot dead in disputed circumstances at 8am on the morning of December 6 1984.

The woman told the hearing that her husband dropped her off that morning and she was walking towards the office block on a morning she described as 'misty'. 

She said she saw a red car doing a three point turn and pulling into a lay by just beside her. 

The woman said there was one person in the car and she got the impression that the driver was 'tense'.

The court heard that shortly after this the woman heard 'a burst of gunfire' followed by another burst.

She then said that there then was a third burst that was 'longer more rapid'.

The woman also gave evidence of seeing two other vehicles in the same vicinity and one of them was following a motorbike with one man on it wearing a white crash helmet. 

The court heard that the woman was disputing when she made her original statement which was dated in late December 1984.

She told the Coroner, Judge Ian Huddleston, that as far as she remembered on the morning of the incident she was placed in an office, given a cup of tea and then a police officer took her statement. 

The hearing continues.