Court to rule on alleged McFarlane admissions

THE Special Criminal Court will rule today on an application by lawyers for former IRA leader, Brendan “Bik’’ Mc Farlane, to have alleged admissions by him to gardaí ruled inadmissible.

McFarlane’s counsel, Hugh Hartnett SC, submitted that the alleged admissions by McFarlane after his arrest in Dundalk in 1998, in relation to the kidnapping of supermarket executive Don Tidey, should not be admitted in evidence.

Mr Hartnett said evidence given by retired Detective Superintendent John Mc Elligot during a bail application by McFarlane in January 1998 was that the main evidence against McFarlane was fingerprint evidence.

He submitted that Mr McElligot had at no stage made any reference to the alleged admissions by McFarlane.

The trial continues today.