Accused Real IRA member 'panicked' on seeing gardaí
A man accused of Real IRA membership said the reason he tried to escape gardaí on the day he was arrested was he "panicked", the Special Criminal Court heard today.
Aidan Grew (aged 47) - of Benburb St, Blackwatertown, Co Armagh - said he did not know his pursuers were gardaí when he was accosted in his green Toyota Avensis at the Co Monaghan farm of a business associate in November 2002.
Grew, who the court has heard tried to drive away from the farm at high speed when confronted by gardaí, told detectives in a garda interview played in court today he was at the associate's property near Dunaldrin to get some money the man had not yet paid him for the sale of some tyres.
Grew - along with Cathal Loughran (aged 27) of Friary Road, Clady, Co Armagh and Dominic Dynes (aged 32) of St Matthew's Estate, Keady, Co Armagh - has pleaded not guilty to membership of an illegal organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Oglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA on November 8, 2002.
The court also heard that in an interview with Detective Sergeant William Hanrahan, Dynes said he did not recognise an envelope with "The British bastards" written on it that gardaí link to the case.
Earlier, defence counsel for Dynes, Mr Niall Durnin SC, put it to Special Branch detective Donal Prenty that his client had been mistakenly informed by gardaí that his initial interview would not take long and he had therefore not immediately requested a solicitor.
Detective Sergeant Prenty replied: "It was my belief that Dominic Dynes knew exactly why he had been arrested and knew the severity of the offence for which he had been arrested."
Mr Durnin replied: "I suggest to you that is not the case."
The case continues in the Special Criminal Court next week.
