The Five Demands

L’udienza dell’11 dicembre del processo contro i Four Derry, è stata caratterizzata dalla deposizione del sergente del Garda, Niall Coady, che il giorno 16 marzo insegnuì e bloccò la volkswagen passat con a bordo 1 quattro imputati (Gary Donnelly, Michael Gallagher, Martin Francis O’Neill and Patrick John McDaid, n.d.r.).
Ha spiegato come si sono svolti i fatti, sostenendo che le facce di Patrick Mc Daid (alla guida), Martin O’Neill (lato passeggero) e Gary Donnelly (sedile posteriore sinistro), gli era parse subito familiari.
Alla vista dell’auto gli nacque subito il sospetto che gli occupanti stessero per commettere azioni illegali in quanto membri dell’IRA. L’auto venne fermata a 500 metri dal confine. Il sergente chiese a McDaid dove si stessero dirigendo ed egli rispose che l’intenzione iniziale sarebbe stata quella di farsi qualche pinta al Nineteenth Hole, se non fosse stato stipato. Il sergente Niall Coady sostenne di visto il pub quella sera, e e che non era affato gremito, raggiungendo così, la definitiva convinzione che i quattro non fossero sinceri in merito ai loro spostamenti.
Quando alle 3.45 giunsero i rinforzi. Nial Coady arrestò McDaid e lo portò alla stazione di polizia di Letterkenny.
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Men accused of IRA membership were stopped by Garda patrol
A car occupied by four men accused of IRA membership was chased and stopped by a Garda patrol in Co Donegal last year, the Special Criminal Court has heard today.
The four Derry city men are Gary Donnelly (aged 38), Kildrum Gardens, Michael Gallagher (aged 28), Sackville Court, Martin Francis O’Neill (aged 40), Colmcille Court and Patrick John McDaid (aged 38), Marlborough St.
They have pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oghlaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA, on March 16.
Sergeant Niall Coady told Patrick Marrinan SC, prosecuting, that he was observing the Nineteenth Hole pub in the Bridgend area, Co Donegal, on March 16 this year, when, at 3.10pm, he saw a Volkswagen Passat come from the Derry direction.
“There were four male occupants in the car. The car stopped right in front of me on the main road for possibly five seconds.
“I regarded the car as suspect and involved in unlawful activity, people using this car involved in IRA activity.
“I would’ve known the car for that reason.”
Sgt Coady told the court that he was “familiar with some of the occupants of the car, with Patrick Mc Daid, who was driving, Martin O’Neill, in the passenger seat and Gary Donnelly, the back left seat passenger”.
Sgt Coady said that Mr Donnelly “looked toward me and I looked at the car and the car immediately went forward toward Muff.
“I immediately followed this car before it did a U-turn on the main road in front of me and I did a similar move, intending to get the car stopped.”
Sgt Coady said that he travelled along the hatch markings for approximately 500 metres in an attempt to catch up with the car.
“I moved alongside the car and pointed to the driver to pull in to the left.”
The car pulled into the hard shoulder 500 metres from the border with the North.
Sgt Coady approached the car and took the names of the four male occupants. They were the four accused.
“I had a suspicion at the time that these men were engaged in IRA activities.”
He said that he “asked the driver where they were going to and the driver said that they were going for a quick pint in the Nineteenth Hole, possibly to watch football. He [the driver] said they didn’t because the pub was packed.
“I had already seen that the pub was not packed so didn’t regard this as a truthful account of their movements.”
Sgt Coady said that he then called for assistance and that the four men got out of the car.
“Mr Donnelly approached me and asked me what would I do if they went to walk towards the border. My response was that they’d have to carry out that action before I’d answer it.”
Sgt Coady said that assistance arrived and at 3.45pm he arrested Mr McDaid and brought him to Letterkenny Garda Station.
The trial continues.