Families challenge screening ruling
The credibility of a police witness to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry was called into question today after it was claimed information was withheld which could have affected his successful application for screening in the witness box.
Lawyers acting for the families of several Bloody Sunday victims challenged former Royal Ulster Constabulary sergeant William McGeehan to state if he was currently living in Northern Ireland.
Seamus Treacy, acting on behalf of the families, claimed if he was not living in Northern Ireland, then it would mean that the High Court decision to allow police officers to be screened could be called into question.
During evidence, the former police sergeant admitted that he did not live all the time in Northern Ireland and was involved in full time work outside the country.
‘‘Do you live full time in Northern Ireland?’’ he was asked.
‘‘No,’’ he replied.
‘‘Do you live outside the jurisdiction?’’ the lawyer asked him.
‘‘I do,’’ he said, adding that this had been the case on and off over the past six years.
He said he did however have a residence in Northern Ireland and denied holding back any material relevant to the court application for screening or the Bloody Sunday tribunal.
The exchange began after Mr Treacy claimed he had only learned this morning that the police witness had been living outside the Province.
