Republican News · Thursday 21 February 2002

RUC/PSNI withhold 160 statements from coroner

With the inquest into the RUC killing of IRA Volunteer Pearse Jordan due to begin next month after a series of delays, it has now been revealed that the RUC/PSNI have not passed on 160 witness statements to the coroner's office.

In a letter to Madden and Finucane solicitors, who are representing the Jordan family, coroner John Leckey wrote: "Last Friday, I was advised by an officer from the PSNI that the investigation into the death of Patrick Pearse Jordan generated approximately 240 witness statements.

"I had been provided with about 80 witness statements and my firm understanding was that this constituted all the witness statements. I was surprised to learn that this was not the case."

Leckey's letter confirmed that the Crown Solicitor's Office will provide the family's solicitor with copes of the documents, but Gerry Hyland, for Madden and Finucane, said "the failure to provide all the material to us and the coroner continues to call into question the fairness of the inquest and will cause further delay".

Pearse Jordan was unarmed when he was shot dead by the RUC in an undercover operation on the Falls Road in November 1992.