Jury heard contrasting evidence about Gerry Adams' reputation

Independent

4 days ago

The jury in the Gerry Adams defamation case at Dublin High Court heard dramatically differing evidence about the reputation of the former Sinn Fein leader.
One witness said Mr Adams had a reputation of 'seriousness and dependability', while another said it was of a 'warmonger'.
Contrasting evidence was also heard about the BBC Spotlight programme that originally broadcast the allegation that Mr Adams sanctioned the murder of British agent Denis Donaldson.
One expert media witness said the broadcast did not meet the corporation's editorial thresholds of responsible journalism, while another said it was not unfair or unjust.
While the focus of attention in the high-profile trial concentrated on the evidence of Mr Adams and Spotlight journalist Jennifer O'Leary, several other witnesses gave evidence over four weeks.
Mr Adams' legal team called the former solicitor for the Donaldson family, Ciaran Shiels, as a witness. He told the jury he had had contact with the BBC team before the Spotlight programme was broadcast.
Asked what he would have said to Ms O'Leary if she had put to him the allegation against Mr Adams, Mr Shiels said: 'I would have said to her that not only was she barking up the wrong tree, she wasn't even in the right orchard.'
Mr Adams' team then called John Martin O'Loan, who has previously held roles involving senior editorial responsibility, including by establishing Sky News, as an expert on journalistic standards.
He told the court: 'The BBC did not meet the editorial thresholds of responsible journalism in its inclusion and presentation of the solo anonymous allegations against Mr Adams.'
He said the segment of the Spotlight programme containing the allegation that Mr Adams sanctioned the killing 'lacked sufficient editorial veracity to be published'.
Former US congressman Bruce Morrison, who worked with Bill Clinton on Northern Ireland's peace process, gave his evidence by videolink from Bethesda, Maryland.
Mr Morrison said Mr Adams was a controversial figure but his reputation was one of a 'serious man on a serious mission who was committed to' the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement.
He said his impression of Mr Adams' reputation was that he was an 'elder statesmen' and 'distinguished leader' who had made an 'extraordinary contribution' to change in Northern Ireland.
The BBC's legal team also dealt with the Spotlight broadcast and Mr Adams' reputation when it called witnesses to give evidence.
Chris Banatvala, who drew up the UK's broadcasting rules for Ofcom and was its founding director of standards, compiled a report based on the Spotlight programme.
He told the jury: 'What I have written is, on balance, given the significant public interest, what information is already in the public domain about Gerry Adams, the fact that the BBC reasonably believed its primary source, 'Martin', to be credible and reliable, that the BBC had corroborative evidence from other credible and multiple sources.
'It was couched in terms of allegations, there was an appropriate and timely opportunity to respond, the programme would probably not be found in breach and not be unfair or unjust to Mr Adams.'
Campaigners for Troubles victims, Ann Travers and Trevor Ringland, described Mr Adams as as a 'warmonger' and 'peace taker'.
Ms Travers' sister Mary was killed by the Provisional IRA in an attack in which her father Tom Travers, who was a lawyer who became a magistrate in 1979, was also shot six times.
Asked about Mr Adams, she said: 'His reputation would be one of having been a warmonger.'
Asked to explain why, she replied: 'For the Troubles, supporting the IRA and the murder of innocent people.'
Mr Ringland, a former Irish rugby international, told the jury his father was shot by the IRA.
Asked for the public's perception of Mr Adams, he replied: 'He is seen as a peace taker, not a peacemaker.'
He added: 'I think the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland would regard him as a peace taker.'
Former Irish attorney general Michael McDowell was called by the BBC to speak about Mr Adams' reputation.
He said: 'Amongst the public, he is known as a politician now who was a leading member of the IRA and who was active in the IRA during the period of its armed struggle against the forces of law and order on this island.'
He added: 'He is reputed to have been a chief negotiator in, I think, 1974 between the provisional movement and the British government and thereafter he was reputed to have a role in the Belfast IRA as its commanding officer.
'Later he was reputed to have become a member of the Army Council of the IRA.'
Referring to the time of the peace process, he said: 'During that period, the view of the (Irish) government based on intelligence briefings was that Mr Adams was a member of the Army Council and was a leading member of the Army Council.'
Asked about Mr Adams' reputation among politicians more generally, he added: 'I've never met any politician who did not believe he was a leading member of the IRA during its 'armed struggle', as it calls it, and thereafter he was a dominant figure within Army Council.'