Ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams awarded €100k in BBC libel case over murdered spy claim
Ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has been awarded €100,000 (£84,000) in damages after winning his libel case against the BBC.
Adams, 76, took the BBC to court over a Spotlight NI documentary and an accompanying online article.
An anonymous source alleged Adams had sanctioned the 2006 murder of British agent Dennis Donaldson.
Donaldson had been emerging as a prominent figure inside Sinn Fein ranks but was murdered in 2006 after it had emerged he had been an informant for two decades.
Adams, who has always denied any involvement in the Irish Republican Army, had outed Donaldson as a MI5 agent a year before his death.
The Real IRA claimed responsibility for Donaldson’s murder and reiterated it carried out the killing after the release of the controversial BBC documentary.
However, the BBC featured an anonymous IRA source named “Martin” who said that murders had to be approved by the political and military leadership of the IRA.
When pressed on who he was referring to, “Martin” replied: “Gerry Adams. He gives the final say”.
Adams described the allegation as a “grievous smear” and told the court he was “shocked” by Donaldson’s murder.
The BBC had denied defaming Adams and claimed its documentary was released in good faith and during the course of discussion on a subject of public and vital interest.
Speaking after winning the libel case outside Dublin’s High Court, Adams said: “I have always been satisfied with my reputation; we all have flaws in our character, but the jury made the decision, and let’s accept the outcome and let’s accept what the jury said.”
He added: “It begs the question whether there has been any political or outside pressure on the BBC to take the stand they have taken.”
Adams also pointed out that “license fee payers are going to pay for this, the BBC aren’t using their own money” and it “could have been dealt with a long time ago”.
However, the BBC voiced its concerns about the case’s impact on freedom of expression.
Director of BBC Northern Ireland Adam Smyth said: “We are disappointed by this verdict.
“We believe we supplied extensive evidence to the court of the careful editorial processes and journalistic diligence applied to this programme and the accompanying online article.”