Kidnap conviction of ex-Sinn Féin director quashed

A former Sinn Féin publicity director had a conviction, linked to the IRA kidnap of a suspected informer in 1990, overturned today.

Danny Morrison and seven others were arrested after security forces swooped on a house in West Belfast where it was claimed Sandy Lynch was being interrogated by the IRA.

But the Court of Appeal in Belfast today quashed the cases after the panel of three judges, led by Lord Chief Justice Brian Kerr, read confidential files on the case.

Mr Morrison demanded the closed files be made public and claimed the convictions had collapsed because of the role of security force agents in his arrest.

The Prosecution Service signalled it will move to block the disclosure of the files when the case is reconvened, but today the Lord Chief Justice said he saw no reason to do so, but would consider arguments at a further hearing.

“There is nothing in the papers which intrinsically militates against the delivery of an open judgment detailing the reasons for our decision,” he said.

“We will, however, give the parties the opportunity, if they wish to avail of it, to seek to persuade the Court not to deliver what I might describe as an open judgment.”