Gerry Adams has told the High Court the BBC‘s response to his complaint over a television broadcast was “absolutely insulting” and “absolutely arrogant”.
Mr Adams claims a BBC Spotlight programme and related article published in 2016 defamed him by falsely accusing him of sanctioning the 2006 killing of MI5 agent Denis Donaldson. The BBC denies it defamed Mr Adams.
On Thursday, the third day of a civil trial hearing into Mr Adams’s defamation action, Declan Doyle SC read to the court correspondence between Mr Adams and the BBC’s solicitors following the broadcast of the programme.
Letters sent by Mr Adams’s solicitors Johnsons asked for certain undertakings, an apology and compensation.
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One letter said the BBC’s inclusion of references to Mr Adams was motivated by malice and an effort to boost viewing figures – not “responsible journalism”.
Johnsons said that the “sting” of the Spotlight programme was that Mr Adams had the “final say” on the murder of Mr Donaldson. This “spurious” allegation was presented to viewers unchallenged, the letter said.
In letters sent in response to Mr Adams’ solicitors, the BBC said it followed its editorial guidelines, and that it constituted “responsible journalism” in the public interest.
It noted that Mr Adams’ denial of the allegations was included in the programme, and that the programme drew no conclusions.
The BBC refused reliefs sought by Mr Adams.
In the witness box, Mr Adams said the BBC “doubled down” on the allegations. He said the broadcaster’s response to his complaint about the programme was “absolutely insulting, absolutely arrogant”.
“It was offensive, it was insulting, and it has all of us here today,” he said.
Mr Doyle also read into the court record a statement issued by Mr Adams in the immediate aftermath of Mr Donaldson’s killing.
Mr Adams condemned the shooting. “I want to dissociate Sinn Féin and all republicans who support the peace process from this killing,” the statement read.
After a break for lunch, Mr Justice Alexander Owens excused the jury until Friday morning to allow for legal argument.
On Wednesday, Mr Adams said he considered Mr Donaldson a “victim” of the conflict in Northern Ireland, and said he was viewed as “expendable” by his British security service handlers.
“Personally, I think Denis Donaldson was a victim of the conflict. I don’t see any other way of describing it,” Mr Adams said.
Mr Adams said he “liked” and “knew” Mr Donaldson, but “didn’t really have any dealings with him”. Mr Donaldson worked for Sinn Féin in a number of roles, the court heard, including as an administrator at Stormont.
Mr Adams said the Spotlight programme was an “attempted hatchet job”, and that he was “astonished” at the “poor journalism” involved in the programme when he first viewed it.
The BBC denies it defamed Mr Adams, and claims the Spotlight programme and publication were put out in good faith and during the course of discussion on a subject of public and vital interest. The BBC says the programme constituted responsible journalism that was the result of careful investigation.
The trial is expected to run for four weeks.
Mr Adams has at all times denied any involvement in Mr Donaldson’s death, for which dissident republicans claimed responsibility in 2009. He claims all allegations connecting him or the IRA to the death are attempts to discredit republicans.
The trial continues.
