4 March 1999 Edition
Judgment reserved in Meehan case
by Ned Kelly
On the November 17 1994, in the months following the first IRA cessation, well-known republican activist Martin Meehan was verbally abused and seriously assaulted by the RUC during a car search in the Ardoyne area.
It was an attack that ended with Meehan in intensive care in Belfast City Hospital for seven days and to the present day he is still receiving medical attention as a result of the attack.
This Tuesday afternoon as a reserved judgment was announced in his case against the RUC the defence for the RUC man responsible, and on charges of assault, serious assault and wrongful arrest, has been shown as inconsistent and flawed.
During the assault Meehan was subjected to a torrent of sectarian abuse and the RUC defendant told Meehan ``We'll smash the ceasefire''. After being seriously beaten Meehan was then put in the back of a jeep and taken to Antrim Road barracks where he overheard an RUC man say to a British Army soldier, ``see what hitting your head on a jeep can do''. Meehan subsequently reported this when making an official complaint.
Four years later the RUC defendant was to use this as part of his defence.
Meehan told AP/RN he felt the RUC defence had two serious flaws that exposed the truth. This included an admission by the RUC defendant that he may have assaulted Meehan and errors in procedural practice by the forensic expert - whose presence at the trial one legal expert described as unusual.
Also the 15 RUC witnesses and a forensic expert who gave evidence consistently contradicted each other.
On the November 17 1994, in the months following the first IRA cessation, well-known republican activist Martin Meehan was verbally abused and seriously assaulted by the RUC during a car search in the Ardoyne area.
It was an attack that ended with Meehan in intensive care in Belfast City Hospital for seven days and to the present day he is still receiving medical attention as a result of the attack.
This Tuesday afternoon as a reserved judgment was announced in his case against the RUC the defence for the RUC man responsible, and on charges of assault, serious assault and wrongful arrest, has been shown as inconsistent and flawed.
During the assault Meehan was subjected to a torrent of sectarian abuse and the RUC defendant told Meehan ``We'll smash the ceasefire''. After being seriously beaten Meehan was then put in the back of a jeep and taken to Antrim Road barracks where he overheard an RUC man say to a British Army soldier, ``see what hitting your head on a jeep can do''. Meehan subsequently reported this when making an official complaint.
Four years later the RUC defendant was to use this as part of his defence.
Meehan told AP/RN he felt the RUC defence had two serious flaws that exposed the truth. This included an admission by the RUC defendant that he may have assaulted Meehan and errors in procedural practice by the forensic expert - whose presence at the trial one legal expert described as unusual.
Also the 15 RUC witnesses and a forensic expert who gave evidence consistently contradicted each other.