A second High Court judge has been called to give a ruling on an alibi witness for a Belfast man, Mr Stephen Larkin. The witness gave evidence in the original trial of Mr Larkin (25) when he was jailed for 16 years or the attempted murder of a loyalist leader, Johnny Adair Mr Larkin was granted a retrial last year.
On Monday the prosecution told Belfast Crown Court that the witness had now "disappeared". The defence told Mr Justice Kerr that the prosecution boon had refused to either confirm or deny that the witness had been a police informer. Mr Justice Kerr ruled that the application for information about any alleged informing should be made to another judge.