Bailey accuses witnesses of intimidation

Two witnesses have been banned from the courtroom where Ian Bailey is taking his libel action after he claimed that he had been the victim of intimidation.

Mr Bailey said today that one witness, Billy Fuller, had made a remark to him at lunchtime yesterday and made another remark to Mr Bailey as he left the courtroom yesterday evening.

He also claimed that another witness, Peter Bielecki, glared at him across the courtroom.

“The two witnesses are somehow acting together in an intimidatory fashion,” he claimed.

Judge Patrick J Moran ordered that the two men should not be in court until they were required to give evidence and that if anything relevant needed to be brought to their attention they could read it in the daily transcript of the case.

Paul Gallagher, defence senior counsel, said he did not accept what Mr Bailey was saying.

He also said he was concerned that Judge Moran would not make judgement on the complaint.

And the judge said: “I am not making a judgement.”

He said that Mr Bailey should not have his rights as a witness interfered with.

“It is unusual, I have never had it before,” said the judge.

More mysteriously ,Mr Bailey complained about other suspicions that he had.

“I believe that where we are staying in Cork things have been moved and altered. I think something very, very conspiratorial is going on in relation to evidence that we are able to bring to court in relation to the initial murder investigation. Something is going on that is not of a legal nature.”

When pressed on exactly what was going on by Judge Moran he said he was not sure.

However, Mr Bailey did add: “The place where we are staying in Cork city there is a garda operation going on there. I cannot be more specific.”

“Mr Bailey should not in any way feel intimidated,” said Judge Moran.

In relation to allegations that witnesses had intimidated the plaintiff, the judge said that steps could be taken if someone was found to be in contempt of court but he did not want to have to do that.

Mr Gallagher for the defence said he was extremely concerned that the good name of the two witnesses was being taken without their right to challenge the allegations.

Again, he said that the defence did not accept the allegations of any intimidation.