Adams' brother sought over alleged abuse

[Ulick]

'she never asked him for comment.'

No, but he's certainly given his side of the story. Unfortunately for Gerry, his side of the story is contradicted by nearly everyone else involved: by aine, by Ms Cahill, by the Clonard youth club authorities, by various SF officials in Dundalk and Belfast, and by the physical evidence - the photos, the book acknowledgement, which show that Gerry was never estranged from Liam, despite what he says. Are all these people lying? Are they all trying to bring down good, honest Gerry who never told a lie in his puff?

I'm not concerned with Adams, we are discussing Breen's journalistic professionalism, unless you forgot. By not seeking corroboration of the allegations she has undermined her own creditability without any need for the supposed SF whispering campaign. 

[Trevor Hill]

A European Arrest Warrant has been issued for Liam Adams, the brother of Gerry Adams, who is wanted in connection with an investigation into sexual abuse.

The PSNI is seeking his extradition and the warrant was sent from the Home Office, to the Department of Justice and on to the Gardai.

It was then endorsed by the High Court in Dublin.

The Gardai are now looking for Liam Adams and will arrest him when they locate him.

He will then be brought before the High Court

[pintsofguinness]

A European Arrest Warrant has been issued for Liam Adams, the brother of Gerry Adams, who is wanted in connection with an investigation into sexual abuse.

The PSNI is seeking his extradition and the warrant was sent from the Home Office, to the Department of Justice and on to the Gardai.

It was then endorsed by the High Court in Dublin.

The Gardai are now looking for Liam Adams and will arrest him when they locate him.

He will then be brought before the High Court

Has the warrant only been issued now?
It's like something you'd see in one of those carry on films!

[Jim_Murphy_74]

Thursday March 04 2010
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams' brother today handed himself over to the authorities as he faces an extradition bid over alleged sexual abuse of his daughter.

Liam Adams, who is wanted in the North on suspicion of attacking Aine Tyrell in the 1970s and 1980s, presented himself to gardai in Dublin city centre.

He was initially detained at Bridewell Garda Station after the High Court yesterday sanctioned a European Arrest Warrant from the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Mr Adams, who is expected to contest the extradition, has persistently denied the allegations.

A short time later, the republican leader's brother was brought to the nearby Four Courts flanked by two gardai.

A brief hearing on his extradition was expected to take place in front of the President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns this afternoon.


It'll be interesting to see what grounds he'll contest the extradition on.   

/Jim

[Minder]

Getting extradited to the six counties.

Conspiracy theorists will have a field day with the timing of this announcement.........

[Denn Forever]

Loo\k at the date of the post before your one Minder.

Not even Carlsberg could do that.

[brokencrossbar1]

Loo\k at the date of the post before your one Minder.

Not even Carlsberg could do that.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1003/breaking30.html

Liam Adams to be extradited

The brother of Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is to be extradited to Northern Ireland to stand trial on allegations that he sexually abused his daughter.

Liam Dominic Adams is wanted by the PSNI in relation to 18 alleged offences against Aine Tyrell, who has waived her right to anonymity.

The 56-year-old, who denies the allegations, lost his fight against extradition from at the High Court in Dublin.

Mr Adams has 15 days to lodge an appeal against the court's ruling before the extradition order takes effect.

The sex abuse claims became public in December 2009 when Ms Tyrell (38) was featured in a television documentary.

Liam Adams is accused of rape, indecent assault and gross indecency at various addresses in Belfast between March 1977 and March 1983, when his daughter was aged between four and 10.

In an affidavit to the court, Mr Adams said has been prejudiced by the delay in bringing charges and widely condemned as a guilty man by the media and persons of repute and in positions of authority, including his brother.

The High Court was told a complaint was first lodged by Ms Tyrell and her mother, Sarah Adams, to police in Belfast on January 21st, 1987.

Mr Adams, whose last address was Bernagh Avenue in Belfast, denied the allegations when arrested in February 2007. A European arrest warrant was issued almost two years later and he handed himself in to gardaí in Dublin.

Mr Adams, who was supported in court by another daughter Claire Smith and her friend, showed no emotion as sections of the 64-page judgment were read by Mr Justice John Edwards this afternoon.

The judge rejected arguments the accused could not get a fair trial because of pre-trial publicity and comments by his brother, a delay in bringing charges and changes in the jury selection in Northern Ireland.

"He must look to the courts of the requesting State to protect his rights," said Mr Justice Edwards. "Those courts would be better placed to deal with those issues."

[stew]

she identified one of the victims of abuse against her wishes,
Last Saturday, January 16 2010, the victim, through the solicitors Madden and Finucane, claimed she had never given permission for the interview or allegations to be used. Although consent was freely given by the victim, the Sunday Tribune respected her decision to withdraw consent for her identity to be revealed and ran the story without identifying her.
    * falsely alleged that one of the alleged victims was raped/submitted to sexual abuse
The Sunday Tribune was approached in the first instance by this victim's brother who stated in writing that Gerry Adams had been personally informed about the allegations of sexual and physical abuse against an elected Sinn Fein member over two years ago.
    * never followed up on any of the allegations,
    * incorrectly alleged that Adams was informed of the abuse,
It is being claimed by Sinn Fein and by one of the women, whose identity was not revealed in the Sunday Tribune, that Mr Adams did not know of the abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of a Sinn Fein elected representative. This is directly at odds with the information we were given and we have proof of this.
    * incorrectly alleged that the abuser is still a SF official
At the time of the article, the accused was a SF member for Newtownabbey Council
    * didn't disclose that the most high profile dissident republican in Belfast sat in on her interview with the alleged victim
    * didn't disclose that that dissident republican brought the story to her
The Sunday Tribune was approached in the first instance by this victim's brother
    * never questioned the role of the PSNI, RUC and Social Services in these matters

You asked 'Have you any proof that's what happened?' I wasn't standing beside Suzanne Breen when all this happened, if that's what you mean. I believe her statements and the statements of the ST, most of which are supported by witnesses. What is SF's proof? The word of Gerry 'I wasn't in the IRA' Adams? Gerry 'I was estranged from my brother' Adams? Gerry 'Always look on the bright side of life' Adams?

He is innocent until proven guilty, even under brit law and just because you want him to be an IRA member does not make it so.

You make it sound like he was as bad as the brother, he's not but then sure you wouldnt have an agenda or anything like that would you bhoy?

[Maguire01]

Conspiracy theorists will have a field day with the timing of this announcement.........

I wouldn't expect this to have any impact. Unless something new is uncovered, this is very much a Gerry Adams issue.

[Myles Na G.]

she identified one of the victims of abuse against her wishes,
Last Saturday, January 16 2010, the victim, through the solicitors Madden and Finucane, claimed she had never given permission for the interview or allegations to be used. Although consent was freely given by the victim, the Sunday Tribune respected her decision to withdraw consent for her identity to be revealed and ran the story without identifying her.
    * falsely alleged that one of the alleged victims was raped/submitted to sexual abuse
The Sunday Tribune was approached in the first instance by this victim's brother who stated in writing that Gerry Adams had been personally informed about the allegations of sexual and physical abuse against an elected Sinn Fein member over two years ago.
    * never followed up on any of the allegations,
    * incorrectly alleged that Adams was informed of the abuse,
It is being claimed by Sinn Fein and by one of the women, whose identity was not revealed in the Sunday Tribune, that Mr Adams did not know of the abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of a Sinn Fein elected representative. This is directly at odds with the information we were given and we have proof of this.
    * incorrectly alleged that the abuser is still a SF official
At the time of the article, the accused was a SF member for Newtownabbey Council
    * didn't disclose that the most high profile dissident republican in Belfast sat in on her interview with the alleged victim
    * didn't disclose that that dissident republican brought the story to her
The Sunday Tribune was approached in the first instance by this victim's brother
    * never questioned the role of the PSNI, RUC and Social Services in these matters

You asked 'Have you any proof that's what happened?' I wasn't standing beside Suzanne Breen when all this happened, if that's what you mean. I believe her statements and the statements of the ST, most of which are supported by witnesses. What is SF's proof? The word of Gerry 'I wasn't in the IRA' Adams? Gerry 'I was estranged from my brother' Adams? Gerry 'Always look on the bright side of life' Adams?

He is innocent until proven guilty, even under brit law and just because you want him to be an IRA member does not make it so.

You make it sound like he was as bad as the brother, he's not but then sure you wouldnt have an agenda or anything like that would you bhoy?

A year and nine months to think about it and that's the best you can muster? 

[All of a Sludden]

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams confronted his brother about allegations he raped and abused his own daughter, a jury has heard.

Belfast Crown Court heard on Tuesday that after Aine Adams told her mother about what had allegedly happened to her when she was a child, the mother and daughter - along with the top politician - went to confront Liam Adams at a house in Buncrana, Co Donegal in 1987.

Liam Adams, however, has denied the allegations.

He went on trial on Tuesday facing ten counts of rape, indecent assault and gross indecency allegedly committed against his daughter - between the ages of around four and 10 - from 23 March 1977 to 24 March 1984.

Opening the Crown case against Liam Adams, from Bernagh Drive in Belfast, prosecuting QC Ciaran Murphy warned the jury of six men and six women that their role was to assess the evidence, "decide who is telling the truth" and set aside any feelings of sympathy or prejudice they may have.

He declared that ultimately, once they have heard all of the evidence in the trial, "we respectfully say that you will be firmly convinced of the guilt of Mr Liam Adams".

Taking the jury through the 10-count indictment, Mr Murphy said that in essence Aine Adams, now 40, will allege that when she was a child, her father "engaged in indecent touching of her body", forced her to perform sex acts and touch him and also "engaged in sexual intercourse with her from about the age of five".

Describing how her parents' marriage was not a happy one, the lawyer said there were many occasions when Aine's mother left the home and it was then, "when the defendant was left alone with Aine Adams, she alleges she was abused".

He said the first incident the alleged victim could recollect was when she was aged around four and living in Westrock Drive in west Belfast when her father allegedly came into her room and "started touching her", adding that in combination with the further sexual allegations "it can be inferred that the touching was indecent".

The next set of three charges of indecent assault, gross indecency and rape, came when Aine was around five, the lawyer said.

While her mother was in hospital giving birth to her brother Connor, Liam Adams allegedly went into his daughter's room, touched her inappropriately, forced her to touch him, and then raped her.

After the family had moved to a property in the Lenadoon area, when Aine was still around five, Mr Murphy recounted how Aine would give evidence of having her own bedroom but that her father came into her room wearing a sheepskin coat.

"He had just come into the house," explained the lawyer, "and she alleges that he touched the area where her breasts would have been and kissed her in a vulgar way" before there was more inappropriate touching and rape.

Another alleged incident occurred in a bungalow the family had moved to in the New Barnsley area in the summer of 1981 when again, having gone into his young daughter's bedroom, Adams abused her and forced her to perform a sex act.

The last count, Mr Murphy told the jury, related to an allegation that Adams raped his daughter when she was aged around 10 - in a flat he moved into on the Antrim Road in the north of the city, after the marriage broke up.

He said Aine first told her mother Sarah about the allegations in 1986, a short time before the mother and daughter - along with Sinn Féin president, her uncle Gerry Adams - went to Co Donegal to confront him about his alleged behaviour.

The jury heard that, while she also told police about the alleged abuse in 1987 and gave a statement, she told police she did not wish the matter to go any further and moved to Scotland.

By 2006, however, Aine Adams had come back to Belfast and again raised her complaint with the police who arrested her father and interviewed him three times.

Liam Adams denied all the allegations put to him and also denied that his brother, ex-wife and daughter ever confronted him about the claims.

The trial continues.

[All of a Sludden]

Gerry giving evidence against his brother today, he seems to be the prosecutions trump card. The usual suspects are strangely silent on this one.


Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has denied making a statement to police about alleged child sex abuse "to save his political skin".

Child abuse is "above politics" and saving his skin was "no consideration whatsoever," he told Belfast Crown Court.

He was giving evidence at the trial of his brother, Liam, who denies 10 charges of sexually abusing his daughter Aine.

She has waived her right to anonymity.

Earlier on Monday Gerry Adams told the court that his brother had admitted sexually abusing his daughter.

The Sinn Fein president said that Liam Adams made the alleged admission during a long walk in the rain in Dundalk, County Louth, in 2000.

"He acknowledged that he had sexually abused Aine. He said it only happened the once."

The politician said that he had dealt with the case "in a very forthright and honest way".

He told the court he did not think his brother was a danger to other youngsters, although he had "acquainted" a priest at Clonard monastery youth club about the sex allegations and he had also advised his brother to get out of youth work.

Mr Adams said he did not believe Liam Adams to be a danger, "given his acknowledgement to me (that he had abused his daughter), and that this had only happened once".

Mr Adams said he had first confronted his brother about the alleged abuse during a meeting in Buncrana, County Donegal, in 1987. He told the court that at that time Liam Adams denied the allegations.

Mr Adams said that when the conversation concluded he spoke to his brother telling him "this was a very serious situation, that he had to reflect on and to acknowledge what she (Aine) was saying, that she had no reason to make any of that up".

He added later that he had two further meetings with his brother Liam, "one in my home, and one day walking in the Falls Park".

Later, the defence barrister suggested that the alleged admission had not taken place.

"You say that your brother made an admission to you in 2000 walking in the rain in Dundalk. I should make it clear to you that I suggest no such admission was made," she said.

Gerry Adams replied: "I don't accept that but I understand it."

Under cross examination, Mr Adams said that initially he knew nothing of his niece's specific claims of rape against her father and that this remained the situation "for 20 years".

The politician said he had "no recollection" of Aine's mother telling him specific details, adding that he had not wanted to know the details, and that it was "a terrible thing that had happened". He also denied saying that if the allegations were true he would have hit his brother "with a hammer".

The prosecution put it to Mr Adams that he had said he had not been in contact with his brother for 15 years from 1987 until 2002, while photographs and other evidence suggested they had been in contact on a number of occasions.

"Well your grasp of the calendar of these events is better than mine," Gerry Adams said, adding that the separation may not have been as long as 15 years.

Mr Adams told the court that he "did have a problem with exact timelines" for events, but denied that he had lied to a journalist about his brother in an effort to distance himself from him.

The court heard that Mr Adams gave his first statement to the Police Service of Northern Ireland about the matter in 2007.

He gave a second statement in 2009 in which he said that in 2000, Liam Adams had admitted to him that he had abused Aine.

The court heard that in 2009, Gerry Adams had given an interview for a TV programme about the allegations.

A defence lawyer said: "You went to the police because you knew the question of you withholding information was going to become a matter of public debate."

Gerry Adams said: "I did not know that."

The defence lawyer also said: "The reason you made this statement to police on 21 October 2009 was to save your political skin."

He said that if he had been interested in saving his "political skin", he would not have got involved in the process from the beginning.

"I was trying to fulfil my responsibilities as the uncle of a young woman I am very fond of and doing my best to resolve all of this," he told the court.

"This is above politics and saving my political skin is no consideration whatsoever in any of these matters."

Liam Adams, 57, from Bearnagh Drive, Belfast, denies 10 charges of sexually abuse, including rape, indecent assault and gross indecency, against his daughter between 1977 and 1983.

The trial continues.

[All of a Sludden]

Back on again.

[lawnseed]

is it Gerry or his brother who's on trial?

[All of a Sludden]

is it Gerry or his brother who's on trial?

Gerry had a foot in both camps, he jumped ship and became a key prosecution witness.

Long story short, Gerry's brother has been found guilty.