Seven police officers in Northern Ireland yesterday denied they were guilty of perverting the course of justice in relation to a fatal road crash.
During the arraignment at Belfast Crown Court, two of them also denied they were guilty of causing the death of Mr Raymond Boyle (21) by dangerous driving.
Officers Mr Robert Hall (37), Mr John Hadley (40), Mr Richard Seve (52), Mr Deryck William Rothwell (33), Mr Stephen Thompson (46), Mr James Long (37) and Mr Alan Calvin (58), with addresses given as c/o Grosvenor Road PSNI station, all denied charges of perverting the course of justice on May 1st and 2nd two years ago.
Officers Rothwell and Thompson also deny causing death by dangerous driving on May 1st, 2001. Charges were levelled against the seven after an investigation by the Police Ombudsman. They relate to an incident on the Whiterock Road when a stolen Rover Metro was in collision with a police Land-Rover.
Mr Boyle, from the Falls Road, was in the passenger seat of the stolen car.
Four other people in the car, which had been stolen the day before in Castlereagh, were injured, along with three of the police officers.
Yesterday, defence QC for the seven, Mr Charles Adair, told Mr Justice Higgins that the case would not be ready to proceed until "the autumn term".
However, Mr Justice Higgins said he thought it would be prudent to list the case for mention before the end of this term in June and released the police officers on continuing bail.