No Stone Unturned journalists to sue police after arrests

No Stone Unturned journalists to sue police after arrests

4 December 2019

TWO journalists who worked on the Loughinisland Massacre film, No Stone Unturned, are to sue the PSNI for wrongful imprisonment.

Lawyers for Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney confirmed their intention to seek damages at the High Court in Belfast last Friday.

The two men were arrested and detained by police in August last year in an investigation linked to the award-winning documentary film.

The film directed by filmmaker Alex Gibney uncovered new information about those responsible for the murder of six Loughinisland men at the Heights Bar in June, 1994.

Raids were carried out at their homes and offices after warrants were granted as part of an investigation in the suspected theft of confidential papers from the Police Ombudsman’s Office.

Officers confiscated computer equipment, files, phones, cameras and note books were taken.

The journalists won their legal challenge into the legality of the warrants earlier this year when judges ruled that authorisation for the searches had been inappropriate. 

It was also ruled that the journalists had acted properly to protect their sources, in line with the National Union of Journalists code.

Police confirmed days later that they had ped their investigation into the journalistic activities of Mr McCaffrey and Mr Birney.

While all confiscated material were returned to the men after the warrants were quashed, news of their intention to sue came at the end of legal attempts to secure the delation of all documents seized and copied. 

The men are concerned about what information remains on police systems and they now plan to issue writs once a resolution to the stored data is reached. 

The legal proceedings in the High Court have been adjourned until later this month.