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Gerry Adams gives evidence at brother's trial over child sex abuse claims Gerry Adams denies trying to 'save his political skin' during brother's trial
(about 7 hours later)
Gerry Adams has started to give evidence in a Belfast court at the trial of his brother Liam, who is accused of child sex abuse. Gerry Adams has denied that he only went to police nine years after allegations of child abuse emerged against his younger brother to save his political career, as he gave evidence in court on Monday.
The Sinn Féin president told the court he had no reason to believe his niece Aine was making up allegations of abuse by her father, Liam Adams. The trial of Liam Adams heard that the Sinn Féin president did not tell police until 2009 that his brother had allegedly confessed to the abuse as they walked together in Dundalk in 2000.
Liam Adams, 57, from Bearnagh Drive in west Belfast, is accused of 10 counts of sex abuse including rape, indecent assault and gross indecency against his daughter. Gerry Adams was giving evidence against his brother in a Belfast court, where the latter faces 10 counts of alleged sex abuse against his daughter Aine, including rape.
Gerry Adams was MP for West Belfast when the allegations first emerged in 1987. But the former West Belfast MP denied that he told Liam Adams he would "hit him with a hammer" if the allegations made by Aine Adams were true. Aine Adams has waived her right to anonymity.
Adams told the jury that he regretted the way he had gone about confronting his brother over Aine's allegations during a meeting in County Donegal. Gerry Adams told the court during testimony that his brother had admitted to him during a walk the brothers had in Dundalk 13 years ago that he had abused his daughter. He said he "had a long walk with Liam" and that "during the course of that he acknowledged that he had sexually abused Aine. He said it only happened once."
He said: "I regret that the meeting took place in the way that it did because Liam denied the assertion that he had interfered with Aine. During cross-examination, the defence barrister, Eilis McDermott QC, asked why Gerry Adams had not told detectives about the alleged admission until a month before a television programme relating to the child abuse claims was to be aired.
"When that concluded I spoke to Liam on my own and said to him that I was very aware of the situation, that he needed to reflect on and needed to acknowledge what Aine was saying. Why would she make it up? There was no reason why she would make any of this up," he said. "I am suggesting that the reason you made this statement was to save your political skin," said McDermott.
Aine Adams, 40, has waived her right to anonymity. Gerry Adams replied: "If I had been interested in saving my political skin I would not have got involved with the process at the beginning. I tried to fulfil my responsibility as an uncle to a young woman I am very fond of.
Liam Adams denies all of the allegations. The trial continues. "This is above politics and saving my political skin had no consideration in any of these matters."
When asked to describe Liam Adams's demeanour, Gerry Adams said: "He was very upset. I remember it was raining."
Pressed by Liam Adams's legal team about what their client was alleged to have told him, Gerry Adams said: "To the best of my recollection the terms that he used were that he had molested her or that he had interfered with her, that he had sexually assaulted her."
He said he first confronted his brother about the alleged abuse at a meeting in Buncrana, Co.Donegal in 1987 after Aine Adams first raised her claims of sexual abuse to members of the Adams family including her mother. He told the court that in that meeting Liam Adams had denied the allegations.
Cross-examining Gerry Adams, McDermott suggested that alleged admission to Gerry Adams the alleged admission during a walk they brothers had in Dundalk 13 year ago did not happen that Liam Adams had made no such admission.
The barrister then said: "You say that your brother made an admission to you in 2000 walking in the rain in Dundalk. I should make it clear to you that I suggest no such admission was made."
Gerry Adams replied: "I don't accept that, but I understand it."
The Sinn Fein leader then told the court he had a problem with exact timelines and denied he had lied to an unnamed journalist about his brother in an effort to distance himself from him. Adams responded: "I take exception to you saying it was a lie."
Gerry Adams said he regretted that the meeting in the late 1980s took place the way it did "because Liam denied the assertion that he had interfered with Aine … When that concluded, I spoke to Liam on my own and said to him that I was very aware of the situation that he needed to reflect on and needed to acknowledge what Aine was saying. Why should she make it up? There was no reason why she should make any of this up."
He said that he had known nothing initially about his niece's specific claims of rape against her father, and that this remained the situation "for 20 years".
Liam Adams, 57, from Bearnagh Drive in Belfast, denies 10 charges of sexual abuse, including rape, indecent assault and gross indecency, against his daughter between 1977 and 1983. The trial continues.