Judgment reserved in Gerry Adams case

Judgment was reserved yesterday in Mr Gerry Adams's compensation claim against the RUC arising out of a "curfew" during an Orange…

Judgment was reserved yesterday in Mr Gerry Adams's compensation claim against the RUC arising out of a "curfew" during an Orange parade on Belfast's Ormeau Road.

The Sinn Fein leader is claiming £10,000 for false imprisonment the night before a contentious march on July 12th, 1996.

At yesterday's resumed hearing at Belfast Recorder's Court, an RUC sergeant gave evidence about the "convivial" two and a half hours he spent in the company of Mr Adams after police stopped the MP from going through a police cordon on the Ormeau Road.

Sgt Patterson said when Mr Adams was eventually allowed through the cordon he said: "Thank you, sergeant."

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He denied Mr Adams's evidence he had been "hemmed in" by police at the cordon and that they had also jostled him. "At no stage was he prevented from walking away," said Sgt Patterson.

"The only people who were around him were his own followers and the press. He never complained about the behaviour of the police."

The sergeant was the final witness, the rest of the evidence having been heard at two previous sittings. After legal submissions Judge Patrick Markey reserved judgment.