Farcical Exhibition Of Political Policing

A statement from the Anti-Internment League 4/2/2015.

Following on from yesterday's farcical exhibition of political policing that will undoubtedly prolong the isolation and degradation policy currently being imposed upon Republican Political Prisoner Gavin Coyle, Tyrone Republican Davy Jordan today appeared in Dungannon Magistrates Court charged in connection with the same incident.


The PSNI Detective Sergeant claimed in Court submissions that they are attempting to connect Davy to the charges as a result of car identification near to the scene, "traces of explosives in a car seized" in 2008 and his previous political imprisonments.

When challenged by Davy's solicitor, Peter Corrigan of KRW Law, the Detective admitted a number of discrepancies in their case, at this early stage. These include the admittance by the PSNI:

  •  that a car seized in 2008 was not, and never had been, registered to Davy Jordan.
  •  that an expert car vehicle analyst had submitted, in an official report to the PSNI, that the car captured on CCTV could be any one of three possible models of car. The car seized could not be definitively and positively identified as the make and/or model captured in CCTV images near the scene.
  • that even if it was the same make and model as the car seized by the PSNI, there is no guarantee that it is the same car seized. Nor is there any proof whatsoever that the car seized was in that area at all. Even if it could be proven that it was, there is no proof that the car was there for "illegal activity".
  • that there is no facial identification from any captured CCTV image that links Davy Jordan with being the driver of the car pictured.
  • that while small traces of nitroglycerine were found in the car seized by the PSNI in 2008, this substance can be the result of innocent activities - as proven in the case of the Birmingham Six.
  • that even so, no traces of nitroglycerine were found by forensics as part of their investigation into the incident connected to the charges, the explosive used was semtex - a totally different explosive.
  • that no DNA, facial identification, witness statements or tracking evidence existed that could link Davy Jordan to the incident connected to the charges.
  • and that having been arrested and interviewed about this incident in 2008, and released without charge, there is no new evidence being produced that wasn't available then.
Despite all this, the Magistrate Judge stated she was convinced that the PSNI had connected Davy Jordan to the charges and remanded him to Maghaberry Gaol, in one of the clearest incidents of internment by remand seen in Ireland in recent years.

Despite the counter claims of collaborators and quislings, internment by remand is continuing to be used against Irish Republicans by the MI5-directed PSNI and State Judiciary, supported by the Stormont SF/DUP Coalition.

The case of Gavin Coyle and Davy Jordan should be highlighted by all as a disgraceful abuse of process, especially in the context of the continuing targetted isolation of Gavin - who having been in solitary for almost five years and nearing release, now sees himself facing further charges that could ultimately prolong his nightmare for a number of further years.


End Political Policing

End Internment By Remand

 End The Political Show Trials of Gavin Coyle and Davy Jordan

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