Gerry Adams claim 'thoroughly investigated' - BBC

The BBC has opened its defence successful a libel lawsuit brought by Gerry Adams, who claims helium was defamed successful a broadcast and nonfiction which alleged helium sanctioned the execution of a British agent.

Eoin McCullough SC, acting for the broadcaster, told the High Court successful Dublin the allegation had been "thoroughly investigated".

He besides stated it would person been "irresponsible" for the accusation to beryllium ignored.

Mr Adams denies immoderate engagement successful the 2006 sidesplitting of Denis Donaldson – who for 20 years was a spy for the constabulary and MI5 wrong Sinn Féin.

A 2016 programme by Spotlight included an anonymous root called Martin making the assertion against Mr Adams.

Martin was described arsenic an informer wrong the IRA.

Addressing the 12-person jury, Mr McCullough said the programme had aggregate sources for Martin's cardinal claim.

"Martin gave her (reporter Jennifer O'Leary) accusation it would person been irresponsible to ignore.

"She didn't conscionable instrumentality him astatine look value. The allegations helium made were thoroughly investigated," Mr McCullough stated.

He said the BBC is defending the lawsuit connected 2 main grounds – it disputes Mr Adams' assertion astir the meaning of the communicative and that it was "a just and reasonable" work connected a substance of nationalist interest.

He besides said Mr Adams is entitled to nary damages due to the fact that of his estimation arsenic an IRA person until 2005 – thing Mr Adams rejects.

"The nonfiction and broadcast don't mean that Mr Adams sanctioned and approved the murder," Mr McCullough said.

"You'll spot the BBC reported that Martin had made that allegation, but it made wide it was an allegation lone and it made wide Mr Adams said it was nonsense."

He besides explained the thought down just work "is a elemental one".

"A writer is entitled to people worldly arsenic agelong arsenic the worldly is successful the nationalist involvement and arsenic agelong arsenic helium oregon she is doing truthful successful bully religion and acts reasonably and reasonably."

He said "great care" was taken astir gathering responses to the allegation and that the editorial processes had been "painstaking".

Crucially, helium said, it is incorrect for Mr Adams to suggest the communicative was based connected a azygous anonymous source.

Mr McCullough said among the BBC's witnesses is an adept who volition authorities that had Mr Adams made a ailment to the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, it would not person succeeded.

The lawyer past called Ms O'Leary to attest - she was the newsman connected the Spotlight programme.

Beginning her evidence, Ms O'Leary said she had been a BBC newsman since 2011.

She said she had nary animosity towards the erstwhile Sinn Féin president: "I didn't person an docket against Gerry Adams.

"You conscionable bash a story. It doesn't substance who it is about."

Earlier, the assemblage was played a video of quality extracts from the 1990s onwards, which showed Mr Adams' engagement successful the Northern Ireland bid process.

It was enactment unneurotic by his ineligible team.

Lasting 14 minutes, it shows Mr Adams meeting, amongst others, erstwhile US president Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela, the ex-president of South Africa.

It ends with a handshake betwixt Mr Adams and the past Prince Charles successful Galway successful 2015.

Mr Justice Alexander Owens told the assemblage it is an illustration of "good publicity" enactment unneurotic by Mr Adams' lawyers, which "may beryllium a spot flattering".

Mr Adams' estimation has go a cardinal diagnostic of the case.

The tribunal was besides told that the Spotlight programme astatine the centre of the lawsuit had a viewership connected 15,800 radical successful Ireland erstwhile it was broadcast successful September 2016.

The accompanying online communicative had astir 750 hits successful Ireland betwixt 2016 and 2017.

The lawsuit is present successful its 3rd week.

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.