Denis Donaldson inquest adjourned for 17th time

The inquest into the death of Denis Donaldson, who was shot dead in a rural cottage near Glenties, Co Donegal, in 2006 was on Wednesday adjourned for a 17th time, with his family once more boycotting the hearing in protest.

A letter from Donaldson family solicitor Ciaran Shiels of Madden & Finucane said the family did not know what further "lines of inquiry" gardaí were seeking.

Mr Shiels’s letter, read by coroner Dr Denis McCauley at the Letterkenny inquest, added: “Nor do we know what the status is of the Department of Public Prosecutions’s consideration of the file that it has in its possession now for a number of years.”

Mr Shiels said he had been instructed by the family not to attend the latest hearing of the inquest as they considered any attendance would be “a pointless exercise”.

‘Significant leads’

Supt Michael Finan, applying for a continuing adjournment, said "significant leads" were being followed up.

He added that assistance was being provided by a force outside the jurisdiction, liaison was ongoing and full co-operation was being received.

Although Supt Finan did not specify which outside force he was referring to, it is believed to be the PSNI.

Dr McCauley said he understood the family’s “frustration”, but he understood the investigation was active with an intention of bringing a criminal prosecution and he agreed to a further adjournment of the inquest until April 13th.

Donaldson (56), was shot dead by gunmen in a rural cottage near Glenties on April 4th, 2006. The Real IRA claimed it was responsible.

The former senior Sinn Féin official had confessed to spying for police Special Branch in Northern Ireland and secret service MI5 just months before he was killed.

Critical statement

On Wednesday night the Donaldson family issued a critical statement of the Garda inquiry into his death.

In the statement issued through their solicitor, they recalled it was exactly 10 years since Mr Donaldson was first exposed as an agent working for Special Branch and MI5.

The statement claimed gardaí had refused to investigate any role played by serving or former members or agents of the RUC or PSNI Special Branch or MI5 in those events.

They had refused to interview the Northern Ireland police handler known as “Lenny” who remained in contact with Donaldson after his exposure in December 2005.

They had refused absolutely to return Donaldson’s personal journal to the family despite initial assurances that this would be done, invoking so-called State Security grounds, the statement said.

The statement alleged gardaí had refused to co-operate fully with the current Police Ombudsman’s investigation in the North and had not discharged its statutory and moral duty to maintain regular and open liaison with the family about all aspects of this case.

The statement added: “A decade on, the Donaldson family’s patience is now exhausted.”