"Substantial progress" made in Donaldson death investigation - Garda
The media seem to know more about developments than the family of the late Denis Donaldson an adjourned inquest into his death was told on Thursday last by a solicitor for the Donaldson family.
Donaldson, 56, who admitted he was a paid British informer for 20 years, died when he was hit by four shotgun blasts at his remote cottage outside Glenties on April 3, 2006.
A pre-inquest-meeting in relation to the death of the former Sinn Fin administrator, Denis Donaldson, will take place on January 27 next following a decision taken by Dr Denis McCauley, Coroner for the Donegal South-East District, last Thursday.
A preliminary inquest into his death opened in November 2007 but has now been put off on four occasions as garda say that they are continuing with their investigations. Dr McCauley pointed out at last Thursday's proceedings in Letterkenny that “this isn’t an adjournment” adding that we will call it “a Preliminary Inquest meeting.”
At the update into the inquest relating to Donaldson’s death in the Mount Errigal Hotel, Superintendent Michael Finan revealed he was seeking a six months adjournment on the matter as “substantial progress” had been made in relation to the investigation. He added that the Donaldson family had been made aware of this progress.
The Donaldson family solicitor, Ciaran Shiels of Belfast firm Madden and Finucane said that the family felt that they were not being informed and they also felt that the media seemed to be better informed than they were which was a matter “of great distress to the family.”
He added that he felt that the garda had reached a certain plateau in terms of the investigation and that “garda seemed to be labouring on four years after the murder.” Mr Shiels further added that the family had heard “nothing from garda til Monday this week when they received correspondence to state that there had been a development of sorts.”
'Bona fide' application
Barrister Stephen Byrne on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions urged the coroner to view the application as a “bona fide” application that was being made to ensure that the garda could properly do their job. “It has all the hallmarks of being a very complex investigation spanning two jurisdictions,” he said.
Mr Shiels said that there seemed to be a pattern that was re-emerging all the time and that was “everytime that the inquest comes up, the family are told that developments have been made a matter of days before the inquest.”
Dr McCauley said that there were two sides involved; the superintendent who wished to have a further adjournment to carry out his investigation and on the other side, a frustrated family who have waited [for the inquest] a long time.
He added that under the Coroner’s Act he had the discretion to make an adjournment in a bid to get the inquest going. He asked both parties to send written submissions to him and to meet again at a pre-inquest meeting with a view to decide what form of inquest it might be and when it will take place.
Barrister Byrne reserved his position on the matter stating that he would seek instruction.
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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