A former paratrooper said today he lied about shooting dead one of the 13 unarmed civil rights protesters on Bloody Sunday.
The soldier, referred to as INQ 2003, had told a television reporter that he murdered Jack Duddy in Derry on January 30, 1972. But, giving evidence to the Bloody Sunday inquiry in central London, he agreed that the account was "completely false".
The former private, who was born and raised in Northern Ireland and on leave at the time of the shootings, said he fabricated the story as he "did not take the situation very seriously because no inquiry had been announced".
He also claimed his alcohol problem made it difficult for him to distinguish fact from fiction and that the journalists took his comments "out of context" after plying him with drink at a hotel.
In the interview with reporter Mr Paul Mahon, which was used as the basis for a discussion on Ulster Television, the inquiry was told the soldier talked of wanting to "take out" someone on the day of Bloody Sunday and that it was not about self-preservation.
He told Mr Mahon that the person he said was Jack Duddy was running away from him at the time at the Rossville Flats and that he was not a threat.
Mr Mahon asked him: "I have got to say to you, soldier, that you murdered this person, did you not?" The soldier replied: "It is hard for me to come to say that but if I am talking honestly, yes."
Counsel for the inquiry, Mr Christopher Clarke QC, said: "Even allowing for your alcoholic problems, how did you come to give such a detailed account, including an admission of murder?"
The witness said he could not remember but his story could have come from hearing about the deaths from his colleagues who were there and reading about the events in the years that followed.
The hearing was told that even when the reporter raised concerns with him about the veracity of his claims, he repeatedly insisted he was there.
Questioned by Sir Alan Green QC, for some of the soldiers, he accepted it would be "fair comment" to say he was an attention seeker.
But this was a result of his drink problem, he insisted, which made him genuinely believe he was in the Bogside that day.
However, he pointed out that the lies to UTV and several firms of solicitors in Northern Ireland did not start until he had left the regiment and moved to England after being tortured and beaten up by paramilitaries.
Lying became a habit, he told the hearing, but he was also motivated by the £350 UTV paid for the interviews.
Asked why he tried to convince people he was there, he told Sir Alan: "I really, really can't say . . . I think I was just so confused with the drink. My life had just hit rock bottom".
The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow.