Gerry Adams awarded €100,000 in libel claim against BBC
Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Victory for Gerry Adams in BBC defamation case
- Gerry Adams, the former Sinn Fein leader, has been awarded €100,000 (£84,000) in damages after winning his libel claim against the BBC.
- The claim was based on a BBC Spotlight programme and online story that alleged Mr Adams sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson, a claim Mr Adams denies.
- A jury at the High Court in Dublin found in Mr Adams' favour, determining that the BBC's words implied Mr Adams' involvement and that the BBC did not act in good faith or in a fair and reasonable manner.
- Mr Donaldson was shot dead in Co Donegal in 2006 after admitting to being a police and MI5 agent for 20 years.
- The BBC programme, broadcast in September 2016, featured an anonymous source claiming the shooting was sanctioned by the IRA's political and military leadership, with Mr Adams having the "final say".