13 November 1997 Edition
SF members held
THREE MEMBERS OF SINN FEIN WERE stopped and held by the RIR on two separate occasions last weekend. On 1 November as they travelled to Newry to attend a Saoirse demonstration the RIR stopped and held them for 25 minutes during which time the men were searched and P checked.
The following day the trio were held at the Clough Road at its junction with the road to Ballykinlar British army base and detained for 40 minutes.
All three were again P checked and body searched. The first two were allowed back into the car while the third man, Garret O Fachtna, was held on his own and aggressively searched.
``The RIR man asked me if I had any guns or bombs then told me he had ` a gun at home, a legally held gun'. Then as he finished he said `I'll see you at the dance'. I asked him if he was threatening me, but at this stage another four or five of the patrol had gathered around us and he shoved me out of the way as he walked off''.
Those stopped said that they believe that being stopped and held at the stretch of road was threatening in itself as it is an area notorious for loyalists. The body of young James Morgan was found near that spot in July.
The following day the trio were held at the Clough Road at its junction with the road to Ballykinlar British army base and detained for 40 minutes.
All three were again P checked and body searched. The first two were allowed back into the car while the third man, Garret O Fachtna, was held on his own and aggressively searched.
``The RIR man asked me if I had any guns or bombs then told me he had ` a gun at home, a legally held gun'. Then as he finished he said `I'll see you at the dance'. I asked him if he was threatening me, but at this stage another four or five of the patrol had gathered around us and he shoved me out of the way as he walked off''.
Those stopped said that they believe that being stopped and held at the stretch of road was threatening in itself as it is an area notorious for loyalists. The body of young James Morgan was found near that spot in July.