A man claimed in a Belfast court yesterday that he was brutally assaulted by RUC officers after they foiled an IRA attempt to murder a colleague. David Adams (39) said the police officers who arrested him went overboard and "literally almost took my life."
Adams, a cousin of the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, alleged the assaults took place after he and two other men were arrested at Belmont Avenue, East Belfast, in February, 1994. He was later jailed for 25 years for his part in the murder conspiracy.
But when he gave evidence at the opening of his compensation claim against the RUC in the High Court in Belfast yesterday, Adams, whose address was given as H.M. Prison, The Maze, denied any knowledge of an IRA murder plot. "I was there to give directions to a boy moving stuff like stolen clothes," he said. "Outside of that I knew nothing that was going to take place."
He is claiming exemplary damages for injuries allegedly caused by police. They include a broken leg, two fractured ribs, a punctured lung and multiple cuts and bruises to his head, chest and other parts of his body.
Counsel for the RUC put it to Adams: "This was a sophisticated operation with stolen vehicles, weapons, a bomb and a safe house and you say you were just doing someone a favour?
"It beggars belief that you should claim that you had no knowledge of what was going on."
"That's correct," replied Adams.
Earlier, Adams told Mr Justice Kerr, who is hearing the case without a jury, that the police appeared out of the blue. "I dived under a van and was pulled out," he said. "After a heavy body search I was handcuffed and a forensic cape was put over me.
"A police officer grabbed me by the head and pounded my face on the ground numerous times. I felt my teeth chipping and kept twisting my head at the last moment to save them from being smashed.
"My nose was busted and there was blood coming through into my mouth. I raised my head to stop myself choking and an officer shouted to keep my head on the ground and punched me.
"An officer arrived and said: `He's choking on his own blood. He's had enough.'
"The other police were shouting `Fenian bastard' and `The only good Fenian's a dead one'. "
He said he believed the blows which broke his ribs and punctured his lung were caused by the butt of a rifle. Adams said the police assaults continued in a car on the way to Castlereagh holding centre and also in the centre. Soon afterwards a doctor arrived and he was taken to hospital, spending seven months on a crutch.
As yesterday's hearing ended Adams agreed with counsel for the RUC that he had two earlier convictions for possessing firearms.
Despite the convictions, he believed weapons should not be used to endanger life.
Asked if he had not been involved in a murder conspiracy he replied: "I pleaded not guilty at my trial."
Counsel suggested that a person involved in such a conspiracy might well blame the police in order to discredit them.
Adams replied: "I can see where you are leading but that is not the case. I am here in court because in my opinion they went overboard and literally almost took my life."
The hearing continues today.