BBC rejects claim it broke rules in Gerry Adams story

The BBC has rejected an allegation that it broke the rules of liable journalism successful a communicative alleging Gerry Adams sanctioned a British agent's murder, the High Court successful Dublin has heard.

The tribunal was told the BBC had six sources for its story.

Mr Adams, 76, is suing the BBC for alleged defamation implicit a 2016 Spotlight programme and an online nonfiction connected the execution of Denis Donaldson a decennary earlier. He denies immoderate involvement.

On time 8 of the libel proceedings earlier a jury, John O'Loan, an Australian writer who helped acceptable up Sky News, was called arsenic an adept witnesser connected behalf of Mr Adams.

He said helium had been successful journalism for 45 years and his erstwhile positions included being a quality exertion and a managing director.

He was tasked by Mr Adams' lawyers to constitute a study based connected the programme, the online story, correspondence and documents obtained nether ineligible disclosure.

The Spotlight programme featured an anonymous interrogation with a root known arsenic Martin, who made the allegation against Mr Adams.

Mr O'Loan told the 12-person jury: "The BBC did not met the editorial thresholds for liable journalism successful its inclusion and presumption of solo, anonymous allegations against Mr Adams.

"The conception lacked capable editorial veracity to beryllium published.

"No secondary documentation oregon verifiable grounds was presented to enactment the superior transgression allegation."

He went connected to enactment that the journalist, Jennifer O'Leary, did not situation Martin connected the assertion and his publication was fixed "disproportionate prominence".

Mr O'Loan said documents helium viewed did not item "where oregon if" the BBC corroborated the assertion of its source.

"We were fixed to recognize that Martin was a erstwhile spy, that's each we knew," helium said.

"That's the justification of publishing the allegation which is beauteous thin."

Mr O'Loan, cross-examined by Eoin McCullough, acting for the BBC, was past challenged connected his evidence, including his assertion the BBC did not corroborate Martin's allegation.

Mr McCullough noted that post-broadcast BBC correspondence provided to Mr O'Loan referred to "multiple, authoritative, credible sources".

Yet, helium said, the adept study had stated the communicative had nary corroboration.

The barrister said determination were 5 sources, positive Martin.

Mr McCullough said determination were a full of 3 different sources from the information assemblage and 2 enactment sources, which corroborated the allegations made by Martin.

"Martin was not the lone root to springiness the programme squad this information, the programme squad received the accusation from multiple, authoritative, credible, confidential sources," helium said.

Mr O'Loan said: "On the broadcast we had nary thought of that. There was thing evident.

"That's what I wrote the study on."

He accepted that helium had near retired of his study immoderate notation to the BBC claiming it had aggregate sources arsenic helium believed "it didn't stack up".

Mr McCullough besides said Mr O'Loan had sought to "denigrate" Martin and the seriousness of the communicative by referring to him successful his grounds arsenic "some bloke".

Former US congressman Bruce Morrison gave grounds for Mr Adams via video nexus from Bethesda, adjacent Washington DC.

He played a relation successful the Northern Ireland bid process during the Clinton medication of the 1990s.

Accepting Mr Adams is simply a "controversial" figure, helium nevertheless described him "as a superior antheral connected a superior mission" of achieving peace.

Mr Morrison described Mr Adams arsenic "an elder statesman".

"He is seen arsenic idiosyncratic who made an bonzer publication to alteration what Northern Ireland was similar to what it's similar today," helium added.

He said Mr Adams had been lauded by erstwhile President Clinton and erstwhile Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Paul Gallagher, for the BBC, pointed retired Mr Adams had been denied a US visa due to the fact that of "terrorist connections".

Mr Morrison replied: "I don't cognize of his relation with the IRA.

"It lone takes allegations to contradict a visa."

The lawsuit volition proceed adjacent Tuesday.

Mr Donaldson was erstwhile a cardinal fig successful Sinn Féin's emergence arsenic a governmental unit successful Northern Ireland but helium was recovered murdered successful 2006 aft it emerged helium had been a spy.

He was interned without proceedings for periods successful the 1970s.

After the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, Sinn Féin appointed Mr Donaldson arsenic its cardinal head successful the party's Stormont offices.

In 2005 Mr Donaldson confessed helium was a spy for British quality for 2 decades, earlier disappearing from Belfast.

He was recovered dormant successful a small, tally down cottage successful Glenties, County Donegal.

Mr Adams was the president of enactment enactment Sinn Féin from 1983 until 2018.

He served arsenic MP successful his autochthonal Belfast West from 1983 to 1992 and again from 1997 until 2011 earlier sitting arsenic a TD (Teachta Dála) successful the Dáil (Irish parliament) betwixt 2011 and 2020.

Mr Adams led the Sinn Féin delegation during bid talks that yet brought an extremity to the Troubles aft the signing of the Good Friday Agreement successful 1998.

He was detained successful the aboriginal 1970s erstwhile the authorities successful Northern Ireland introduced internment without proceedings for those suspected of paramilitary involvement.

Mr Adams has consistently denied being a subordinate of the IRA.