OFFICERS DENY JOINTLY PREPARING STATEMENTS
Officers deny jointly preparing statements
The Omagh civil action this week continued in Dublin, with a barrister for convicted Real IRA chief, Michael McKevitt, questioning the work practices of gardai officers who had been involved in surveillance of his client.
Questioning the accuracy of their statements, he noted that they had failed to keep any written notes or photographs of meetings that his client allegedly had with an FBI agent, who infiltrated the dissident republican group.
The officers, who followed the paramilitary leader accused of responsibility for the Omagh bombing, this week denied collaborating to make statements.
Kieran Vaughan QC told the civil trial of five men being sued by the families of some of the victims of the August 15, 1998 atrocity that it was obvious that officers had memorised undated statements, which were made after McKevitt's arrest in January 2001, for the hearing.
The �14 million action is being taken by six families against the men, who they believe are responsible for the attack which killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.
McKevitt, Liam Campbell, said to be McKevitt's number two in the Real IRA, Colm Murphy, Seamus McKenna and Seamus Daly all deny involvement in the bomb attack in the Co. Tyrone town on a busy Saturday afternoon.
At Dublin District Court, on day 19 of the unprecedented case which has heard four weeks of evidence at Belfast Crown Court - members of the Garda Surveillance Unit said they witnessed McKevitt and David Rupert together at a Dundalk housing estate on February 18, 2000.
The accuracy of testimonies given by Detective Garda Fergal O'Brien and Sergeant Seamus Lynch, who each maintained they saw the man in the cul-de-sac before and after a meeting in a house, were questioned by Mr. Vaughan.
They told the court that at no time did any officer consider video recording or photographing the meeting, that they did not log times or car registration numbers, or note the clothes that McKevitt was wearing.
Both gardai said that it was not their job, but the responsibility of their senior officer, Detective Sergeant Thomas Finbarr Healey - who gave evidence on Monday - to record the movements around Cuklands Park on the night in question.
Mr. Vaughan claimed that reports and subsequent statements from all three gardai were worded and phrased the same, and had not been dated, suggesting they were written together.
He said Mr. O'Brien: "I put it to you that you put your heads together to make your statements."
"I have never changed my evidence," Mr. O'Brien replied.
Mr. Vaughan asked Mr. Lynch if he had made his statement alone.
"I did," he told the court.
"At that time I was based in Co. Monaghan. I wouldn't have been in touch with my colleagues on a regular basis at that stage."
Earlier, a Northern Ireland High Court judge temporarily presided in the courtroom, to hear submissions from council for the defendants.
Mr. Justice Declan Morgan, who has been hearing the case at Belfast Crown Court, was due to rule on whether barristers would be allowed to object to evidence from almost 50 gardai, who have been called to testify at the case.
Lawyers for the defendants feared that questions written by the plaintiffs could tarnish their clients; names if they could not be disputed at the district court.
Brett Lockhart, QC for the plaintiffs, said the legal parties had agreed between them to omit a series of questions which related to nine witnesses, and to proceed taking factual evidence from the witnesses.
District court judge, Conal Gibbons and Mr. Justice Morgan agreed that any potentially contentious or problematic questions would be highlighted when the case resumes before Belfast Crown Court.
The Omagh civil action this week continued in Dublin, with a barrister for convicted Real IRA chief, Michael McKevitt, questioning the work practices of gardai officers who had been involved in surveillance of his client.
Questioning the accuracy of their statements, he noted that they had failed to keep any written notes or photographs of meetings that his client allegedly had with an FBI agent, who infiltrated the dissident republican group.
The officers, who followed the paramilitary leader accused of responsibility for the Omagh bombing, this week denied collaborating to make statements.
Kieran Vaughan QC told the civil trial of five men being sued by the families of some of the victims of the August 15, 1998 atrocity that it was obvious that officers had memorised undated statements, which were made after McKevitt's arrest in January 2001, for the hearing.
The �14 million action is being taken by six families against the men, who they believe are responsible for the attack which killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.
McKevitt, Liam Campbell, said to be McKevitt's number two in the Real IRA, Colm Murphy, Seamus McKenna and Seamus Daly all deny involvement in the bomb attack in the Co. Tyrone town on a busy Saturday afternoon.
At Dublin District Court, on day 19 of the unprecedented case which has heard four weeks of evidence at Belfast Crown Court - members of the Garda Surveillance Unit said they witnessed McKevitt and David Rupert together at a Dundalk housing estate on February 18, 2000.
The accuracy of testimonies given by Detective Garda Fergal O'Brien and Sergeant Seamus Lynch, who each maintained they saw the man in the cul-de-sac before and after a meeting in a house, were questioned by Mr. Vaughan.
They told the court that at no time did any officer consider video recording or photographing the meeting, that they did not log times or car registration numbers, or note the clothes that McKevitt was wearing.
Both gardai said that it was not their job, but the responsibility of their senior officer, Detective Sergeant Thomas Finbarr Healey - who gave evidence on Monday - to record the movements around Cuklands Park on the night in question.
Mr. Vaughan claimed that reports and subsequent statements from all three gardai were worded and phrased the same, and had not been dated, suggesting they were written together.
He said Mr. O'Brien: "I put it to you that you put your heads together to make your statements."
"I have never changed my evidence," Mr. O'Brien replied.
Mr. Vaughan asked Mr. Lynch if he had made his statement alone.
"I did," he told the court.
"At that time I was based in Co. Monaghan. I wouldn't have been in touch with my colleagues on a regular basis at that stage."
Earlier, a Northern Ireland High Court judge temporarily presided in the courtroom, to hear submissions from council for the defendants.
Mr. Justice Declan Morgan, who has been hearing the case at Belfast Crown Court, was due to rule on whether barristers would be allowed to object to evidence from almost 50 gardai, who have been called to testify at the case.
Lawyers for the defendants feared that questions written by the plaintiffs could tarnish their clients; names if they could not be disputed at the district court.
Brett Lockhart, QC for the plaintiffs, said the legal parties had agreed between them to omit a series of questions which related to nine witnesses, and to proceed taking factual evidence from the witnesses.
District court judge, Conal Gibbons and Mr. Justice Morgan agreed that any potentially contentious or problematic questions would be highlighted when the case resumes before Belfast Crown Court.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1948
Published Date: 15-May-08
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