Soldier accused of Aidan McAnespie manslaughter recalls day of fatal shooting

THE former soldier charged with the manslaughter of Aidan McAnespie in Aughnacloy 34 years ago has told his trial that he cannot remember if his hands were wet at the time the fatal shots were fired.

David Holden (54) has been giving evidence at Belfast Crown Court today.

He is charged with the manslaughter of Aidan McAnespie, who was walking to play in a GAA match for his club, Aghaloo, when he was shot in the back on February 21, 1988.

Holden told the court that he couldn’t remember whether his hands were wet at the time. But he added that he had been washing for a number of hours prior to the shooting and had ‘theories’ about how the shots were fired.

He said the theory that his hand had slipped was him trying to do the best he could to assist the police in the investigation.

“It was the coldest day. I had been washing down and and our hands had been in and out of the water of a couple of hours,” he said.

When asked if he had been aiming the gun, he replied ‘No’ and also replied ‘no’ when he was asked if he had been aiming the gun at Aidan McAnespie.

He was later asked what had caused his finger to slip and replied that it was ‘probably my hand was wet.”

The former soldier said that the incident was something which he had relived ‘every month, every week and every day’ since he had been charged in 2018.