Joe Mahon told the court he was 16 at the time and had attended the civil rights march in Derry on Bloody Sunday.
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA
A man injured on Bloody Sunday has told a trial how he pretended to be dead while lying on the pavement after he was shot.
Joe Mahon also said that he saw a solider fire shots at another victim who was on the ground before saying “I’ve got another one”.
Members of the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 civilians in Londonderry after a civil rights march in January 1972.
An Army veteran, identified only as Soldier F, has been charged with the murders of two men killed on Bloody Sunday, James Wray and William McKinney.
He is also charged with five attempted murders during the incident in the city’s Bogside area, including Mr Mahon, Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Patrick O’Donnell and a person unknown.
He has pleaded not guilty to the seven counts.
He sits in the dock at Belfast Crown Court behind a curtain during each day of the non-jury trial.
Giving evidence when the trial resumed on Wednesday, Mr Mahon told the court he was 16 at the time and had attended the civil rights march in Derry on Bloody Sunday.
He said he went to Glenfada Park after becoming aware of disturbances and hearing that people had been shot.
He said he saw a small number of soldiers enter Glenfada Park North where a large group of people had gathered.
He said he saw one soldier with a rifle under his arm open fire in the direction of people in the area.
Mr Mahon said there was a “jam” as people tried to run away.
He said: “We were trying the gates of a couple of houses to get into the yards but they were locked.”
He then told the trial that he found himself on the ground.
He said: “I thought I was hit by a rubber bullet.
“I know it might sound funny but when you see someone getting shot on TV, they are rolling about in pain, I wasn’t that way.
“I heard a voice beside me. There was a gentleman to my right lying on the road. He says ‘I am hit’.
“The way I was lying he was halfway down my chest.”
The court was told that Mr McKinney and Mr Wray were lying close to Mr Mahon after they were shot.
Asked about the movements of soldiers, Mr Mahon said: “I saw one walking across the square, walking towards the square to where we were lying.”
He said it was the same soldier he had earlier seen opening fire.
He added: “He walked past me and Mr McKinney.
“I heard a voice calling ‘pretend you are dead’. I must have moved, I didn’t know I was shot at the time.
“I still thought it was a rubber bullet, I was going to try and get up and run.
“I lay and let on I was dead.”
Mr Mahon said Mr Wray then moved and the soldier fired at him on the ground.
He said the soldier then left the area before returning.
He said he heard the soldier say: “I’ve got another one.”
Mr Mahon said that shortly afterwards he lifted his head and the soldier saw him.
He said: “He knelt down in the middle of the square and aimed his rifle at me.
“I turned my head away towards the fence, after what happened to Jim Wray, I expected the same.
“I turned my head waiting to be shot and I heard a voice shouting ‘first aid, don’t shoot’.”
Mr Mahon told the trial that members of the public had carried him from the square.
A bullet had entered his right pelvis and he spent several weeks in hospital.
The trial is expected to hear evidence from other witnesses who were shot on Bloody Sunday later on Wednesday.
