POLICE OFFICERS WHO LIED IN COURT MAY FACE PROSECUTION
By Barry McCaffrey
Police who lied in court may face prosecution
THE Public Prosecution Service last night confirmed that it is considering whether to bring charges against two police officers who were found to have lied during the failed Omagh trial.
On Thursday, Omagh Bomb judge Mr Justice Weir publicly criticised PSNI officers Fiona Cooper and Philip Marshall, who were found guilty of "deliberate and calculated deception" during the trial.
The officers initially claimed that they had been wearing protective forensic clothing at a Real IRA bomb scene at Altmore Forest, in Co Tyrone in April 2001.
However, under cross-examination both officers admitted having lied and falsifying witness statements.
In what he described as a "most disturbing situation", Mr Justice Weir said: "The explanation as to how their untruths came to be told and the deliberate attempts, as I am satisfied they were, to conceal what the defence not unfairly characterised as the beefing up of the initial statement of Ms Cooper are deeply disquieting."
Voicing concerns that other police officers may also have been involved in the cover-up, the judge said: "The effect of this, as I find deliberate and calculated deception in which others concerned in the investigation and preparation of this case for trial beyond these two witnesses may also have played a part, is to make it impossible for me to accept any of the evidence of either witness since I have no means of knowing whether they may have told lies about other aspects of the case that were not capable of being exposed as such." The two officers were only caught out lying when photographs were shown to the court identifying them as not wearing protective clothing, as they had claimed.
Ms Cooper claimed that she could not have written a falsified witness statement in her name, as she had been in Zambia at the time it
was written.
Under cross-examination Mr Marshall admitted that he had been coerced by unnamed officers on the Omagh inquiry to "beef up" their statements.
The court was told both officers original statements had since gone missing.
When the officers were caught out lying Mr Justice Weir asked the Police Ombudsman to investigate their actions.
An ombudsman spokesman confirmed yesterday that both officers had been now interviewed and that a file had been forwarded to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in August for consideration of charges being brought against the two officers.
A PPS spokesman last night confirmed that possible charges against the two officers were "under consideration".
It is understood that neither officer has been suspended from PSNI duty during the Police Ombudsman investigation.
Police who lied in court may face prosecution
THE Public Prosecution Service last night confirmed that it is considering whether to bring charges against two police officers who were found to have lied during the failed Omagh trial.
On Thursday, Omagh Bomb judge Mr Justice Weir publicly criticised PSNI officers Fiona Cooper and Philip Marshall, who were found guilty of "deliberate and calculated deception" during the trial.
The officers initially claimed that they had been wearing protective forensic clothing at a Real IRA bomb scene at Altmore Forest, in Co Tyrone in April 2001.
However, under cross-examination both officers admitted having lied and falsifying witness statements.
In what he described as a "most disturbing situation", Mr Justice Weir said: "The explanation as to how their untruths came to be told and the deliberate attempts, as I am satisfied they were, to conceal what the defence not unfairly characterised as the beefing up of the initial statement of Ms Cooper are deeply disquieting."
Voicing concerns that other police officers may also have been involved in the cover-up, the judge said: "The effect of this, as I find deliberate and calculated deception in which others concerned in the investigation and preparation of this case for trial beyond these two witnesses may also have played a part, is to make it impossible for me to accept any of the evidence of either witness since I have no means of knowing whether they may have told lies about other aspects of the case that were not capable of being exposed as such." The two officers were only caught out lying when photographs were shown to the court identifying them as not wearing protective clothing, as they had claimed.
Ms Cooper claimed that she could not have written a falsified witness statement in her name, as she had been in Zambia at the time it
was written.
Under cross-examination Mr Marshall admitted that he had been coerced by unnamed officers on the Omagh inquiry to "beef up" their statements.
The court was told both officers original statements had since gone missing.
When the officers were caught out lying Mr Justice Weir asked the Police Ombudsman to investigate their actions.
An ombudsman spokesman confirmed yesterday that both officers had been now interviewed and that a file had been forwarded to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in August for consideration of charges being brought against the two officers.
A PPS spokesman last night confirmed that possible charges against the two officers were "under consideration".
It is understood that neither officer has been suspended from PSNI duty during the Police Ombudsman investigation.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0877
Published Date: 22-Dec-07
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