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Couple want IRA conviction quash decision made public

category national | crime and justice | other press author Friday April 19, 2013 16:11author by Joe Mc Report this post to the editors

A couple sent to prison in connection with the 1989 murder of alleged IRA informer, Joe Fenton , have asked that the contents of a "secret dossier" seen by prosecutors be made public.

James Martin and Veronica Ryan, from Belfast, were convicted of falsely imprisoning alleged IRA informer, Joe Fenton, before he was killed in 1989. Last year, the public prosecution service said the couple would not have been charged if it had been aware of confidential material it has now seen.

Although the PPS accepts the convictions should be overturned, it has refused to allow the couple know why its position has changed . Yesterday it asked the Court of Appeal to give a closed judgment - which means the material will remain secret. The court reserved judgment.

A statement made after yesterday’s hearing by a barrister representing James Martin suggested that Mr. Martin’s defence team think the Belfast DPP does not want the fact disclosed because the murder for which the couple was convicted of assisting was in fact carried out by a state agent acting within the IRA.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22208527?...hisFB

author by Joe Mcpublication date Fri Apr 19, 2013 16:32author address author phone Report this post to the editors

According to today's Belfast Telegraph , Sean Devine, counsel for Mr Martin, said in court that the wider public deserved to know about the secretive behaviour that led to his client's imprisonment so as to prevent similar miscarriages of justices occurring in future.

""He told the court there was one man at the centre of the case, saying: "If the speculation is correct and it's the case that one agent of the state was allowed to execute another agent of the state to enhance his position with a paramilitary organisation so he could provide a higher grade of intelligence, that needs to be stated.""

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/n....html

author by fredpublication date Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:13author address author phone Report this post to the editors

nice catch Joe.

What the hell is going on here??