Miscarriage of justice in case of man who spent 14 months in prison for IRA membership

Michael Connolly (47) had pleaded not guilty to membership of the IRA.

A Louth man who spent 14 months in prison for IRA membership has had his conviction declared a miscarriage of justice after the Special Criminal court agreed there was a "grave defect" in the administration of justice brought about "by agents of the State".

The non-jury court found that Garda Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan, who gave evidence of his belief that Michael Connolly (47) was an IRA member, had made "an unqualified assertion" during the trial that none of the material he viewed that formed the basis of his belief was in the Book of Evidence against the accused man.