Republicans accused of assaulting police allowed to walk free
12 February 2011
TUV is outraged by the failure of the Prosecution Service to prosecute three dissident republicans in Enniskillen Magistrates Court this week , resulting in multiple charges of assault on the police at Rosslea on Easter Sunday 2009 being dismissed, because the prosecutor failed to turn up. (http://www.impartialreporter.com/news/roundup/articles/2011/02/11/393001-accused-go-free-after-prosecutor-noshow/ )
Commenting Fermanagh South Tyrone TUV candidate and former policeman, Alex Elliott, said, “Just what sort of a department is David Ford running? First prisoners walk out of jail and now a prosecutor doesn’t bother to turn up and three republicans walk free! This is monstrous. Police who put themselves in the front line deserve better, as do the law abiding public, than to see such an affront to justice as unfolded in Enniskillen this week.”
TUV Leader Jim Allister QC added, “I am appalled at what happened, including the apparent decision in the end to offer no evidence. Even with the intended prosecutor inexplicably absent, there was, apparently, a prosecutor eventually present, the witnesses were present so why was the evidence not presented? Alternatively, if a reasonable request to adjourn the proceedings had been refused by the District Judge such a decision could have been challenged on appeal by way of ‘case stated’. So, there can be no excuse for this outcome and the gross mishandling which gave rise to it.
“David Ford has a lot of explaining to do. Meanwhile, Republican Sinn Fein laughs all the way to their next illegal parade in Rosslea and elsewhere. If this sort of sloppy approach exists in the Prosecution Service then it needs a thorough shake up.”
