Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THERE IS NO evidence that police leaked information about the whereabouts of a former Sinn Fein member who was unmasked as an informant before he was murdered, a Northern Irish watchdog report has said.
Denis Donaldson was shot dead at a remote cottage in Donegal in April 2006, in a killing claimed by the Real IRA.
Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson found that the PSNI had not sought to implicate members of Denis Donaldson’s family in his murder, and said that rather than impeding the investigation of his murder by the Garda, the PSNI had provided “a high level of co-operation and assistance”.
However, she stated that the PSNI should have carried out a further risk assessment of any potential threats to Denis Donaldson’s life following the publication of a media article which included photographs of him outside the cottage just over two weeks before he was murdered.
Family reaction
Reacting, Dens Donaldson’s family slammed a “flagrant breach of Denis’s Article 2 right to life and the PSNI’s duty of care to him”.
Anderson’s report deals with police actions before and after his murder.
On March 17, 2002, sensitive information was stolen during a burglary at Castlereagh police station, and police received intelligence that the Provisional IRA was responsible.
After documentation was recovered from Mr Donaldson’s home, he was charged along with three others of possession material which could be of use to terrorists.
Charges against one of the four were withdrawn in December 2003, and the case against the others was withdrawn by the Public Prosecution Service in November 2005.
The report said that police then carried out a risk assessment which concluded that the PIRA would be likely to conduct an internal inquiry to establish why the case had collapsed.
On December 10, 2005, police delivered a threat message to Mr Donaldson, which stated that “members of the media believe that Denis Donaldson is an informant”.
The report said because of concern that he may be at risk, the PSNI held an urgent “Gold Command” meeting on December 14, resulting in police resources being put on stand-by so that, if necessary, they could respond quickly to developing events.
The following day, the report stated, an officer referred to as “Police Officer 3” called Mr Donaldson on the phone twice and spoke to him briefly on the second occasion, providing him with a contact number.
At about 9.20pm, a call was made to the number given to Denis Donaldson earlier, but Police Officer 3 did not recognise the number as belonging to Donaldson and did not answer the call.
The following day then president of Sinn Fein Gerry Adams held a press conference in Dublin during which he announced that Mr Donaldson had been dismissed from the party after admitting that he had been an informant.
Donaldson made a statement later the same day stating that he “had worked for British Intelligence and RUC/PSNI Special Branch” since the 1980s.
He later moved to a cottage near Glenties in County Donegal, where he was murdered.
Concerns
Donaldson’s family expressed a number of concerns about police actions, including an allegation that a threat message delivered to Donaldson on December 10 2005 was “bogus” and “artificially manufactured” as it was untrue that the media were intending to expose him as an informant.
The family voiced concern that the message was “maliciously released”, and alleged that police had failed to conduct a risk assessment before delivering the message.
However, Anderson said the threat message was based on “reliable information from a credible source”.
She said her investigators had examined a clear audit trail, including a risk assessment and contingency plans, setting out the rationale for the decision by police to deliver the threat message.
She said: “I am of the view that police would have failed in their Article 2 obligations if they had not informed him of the relevant information.”
The family also alleged that the phone call made to Donaldson on December 15 was intended to ‘spook’ him and part of an exercise to ‘burn’ him as an informant.
But Anderson said it was “part of a carefully considered threat management plan in response to information that Mr Donaldson had informed Sinn Fein colleagues that he was an informant”.
She added:
The purpose of these telephone calls was to identify, assess, and manage any identified risks, as well as address any welfare concerns relating to Mr Donaldson. I have identified no concerns regarding these telephone calls.
She said that the decision by police not to take the call made to Police Officer 3 on the evening of December 15 was “reasonable and prudent” given that it was not made from Donaldson’s phone.
Another concern expressed by Mr Donaldson’s family was that, after he had moved to Donegal, police had leaked information about his whereabouts to a number of people, including journalists.
On March 19 2006, a newspaper published a story which described the cottage he was living in as “run down”, without running water and electricity and adjacent to other cottages in a bend in the road.
Anderson said her investigation had found no evidence that police had leaked any information about Mr Donaldson’s whereabouts.
However, she said the publication of information about where he was living should have prompted police to conduct a further risk assessment to identify any risks he might have been exposed to.
She said: “PSNI advised AGS (An Garda Siochana) of the potential increased risk to Mr Donaldson as a result of the media article.
“However, my investigators found no evidence that a further risk assessment took place or was considered by the PSNI.”
She added that she had found no evidence that PSNI had monitored Mr Donaldson’s movements or conversations after he moved to Donegal, as alleged by his family.
Allegations
The Police Ombudsman’s investigation examined concerns that the PSNI had sought to implicate members of Donaldson’s family in his murder, but found no evidence.
The family also alleged that the PSNI had impeded AGS’s murder investigation by withholding, suppressing or editing information about their contact with him during the final months of his life.
However, Anderson said her investigation had found “no evidence that any member of the PSNI sought to impede the murder investigation conducted by AGS”.
A spokesperson for the Donaldson family said: “For reasons that remain unexplained, and unaccounted for, it is reported that the PSNI abandoned its routine practice of risk assessments which had apparently followed Denis’s exposure in December 2005.
“This course of action was taken at precisely the moment when the risk to Denis’s life was at its greatest. This is a flagrant breach of Denis’s Article 2 right to life and the PSNI’s duty of care to him.
“There were repeated attempts to close down this inquiry. The key question has always been: did the PSNI do enough to protect Denis’s life. The Ombudsman’s answer today was: no, they did not.
“No-one has any comprehension of the direct harm and damage to our family caused by the actions and omissions of certain police officers, and others, over the last 16 years.”
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Mark McEwan said: “I recognise the pain and suffering felt by the family of Denis Donaldson.
“We note the findings of the Ombudsman’s investigation and will now take some time to review her comprehensive report.
“We have reviewed our operational policies and service procedure regarding the management of threats to life, and will continue to do so on a regular basis.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Irish adults aged 15+???
“Too Irish to do casual”..I stopped there as I’m not into fiction
Is Flickr for lesbians??
My ratings on Tinder.
French women – 10 out of 10. Look great, dress great, sophisticated and charming.
Spanish women – 8 out of 10 (bit too gabby) Great looking, good conversationalists.
Most European women are cool.
Asian women – 5 out of 10. Good fun but looking for husband material.
African women – they’d wear you out.
Irish women – 2 out of 10.
No fashion sense, borderline alcoholics 90% of them, no social graces, overweight, plastered in make up to hide the deficiencies, cheapskates, haven’t a clue about art or philosophy unless you include Fair City.
Mutton dressed as lamb.
Avoid the cailins if you want to avoid hassle.
Have to agree on this
Any lads gonna defend the Irish girls?
You’re seething Sam, I can sense it.
@ Jack, how’s the male modelling career going? People in glasshouses and all that jazz…
Not seething. Pretty sad to see that’s all.
Let’s ask jack.. Just a few question, for starters, are you single?
People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones…. or sex parties.
Ok.. No answer.
Question 2. If you are such a big fan of French women, why are you not living in France?
Jenni, It’s gobshîtes like him who’d give Irish men(or men in general) a bad rap.
Fortunately most Irish men are gems so his attitude should not reflect.
I have to agree with you there Sam
Cmon girls, you’re taking it too personal, like I’ve touched a nerve or something.
It’s just a generalization.
Chill out.
I have many many ideas of what you can do with your generalisation.
I think you’ve both just illustrated Jacks point. A french or spanish lady would have ignored his bait. Classy
so you admit he baits, class man. and no I dont mean that as a complinent. Anyway, I have no more time for this, 2 guys on here have as much class as a postage stamp. I prefer to think Irish single guys are much more gentlemanly.
Yes, when ladies dont have an opinion and dont speak their mind its classy. Now u little boye retire ti the cigar room whilst us ladues drink out tea.
You’re certainly a keeper. Men love that attitude
Its an offensive generalization. Its like saying ‘all men are ba$tards’ etc. I dont appreciate it Brad Pitt
The patriarchy?
That didn’t take long.
He didn’t say all- just 90%
Thank god I don’t know any men like you’s!
Cowards who probably only have a relationship with palm and her five friends every night because no Irish LADY will entertain them.
Kinda sad really. Especially when they have to use someone else’s picture of the Internet.
Don’t let us keep you’s, I’m sure you’re off on a European trip tonight in your thoughts.
Let me guess Sam.
You write romantic fiction in your spare time.
Sam. Do you see many European ladies falling around the place skirt around their ears trying to shout over each other after they pass 21?
Another generalisation Jack? Where dd you sprout this one from? Your backside?
Rather crude Sam.
Can we at least try to maintain some standards.
This is the journal.ie after all.
John, that’s any country. It’s called young people of today.
Thankfully I don’t nor have worn skirts that could be considered hair bands.
If you’s have such a bad outlook towards Irish women Id hazard a guess and say mammy issues or some girl severely fûcked you’s over or you’s literally have no luck at all with women.
Your over inflated egos really don’t add to your already charming personalities.
Maybe if you look in the right place, maybe off hook up sites like tinder, you might actually find some true Irish ladies.
Jack, your standard dropped as soon as you posted your original comment.
Sam. Ask any foreign guy, or girl. Ask them what they honestly think.
Here’s another generalization Sam.
French, Italian and Spanish women are attractive also because they still know what feminine mystique means.
They don’t shove it all in your face the first time you meet them.
@ john spot on
You have to work hard to succeed with them.
I agree to a certain extent. Irish girls have a very high opinion of themselves. I have lived in Ireland, Scotland and America. Tinder really just feeds girls egos. I have been. on numerous dates in Dublin, brought girls out to dinner and made them laugh. Most of them didn’t even text back to say thanks and probably had no interest to start with but liked the idea that someone wanted to take them out to dinner. Like the girl says in the article ‘I only go on it when I’m hungover and haven’t been in a date in ages’ Definatley my experience of Irish girls in Dublin. I live in Scotland now and girls from all over are massively greatful if I ask them out in the street or bring them out to dinner….something that was met with ‘get lost’ or simply laughed at by some girls in Dublin. Kills me to say it but Irish girls could do with taking a leaf out of their European counterparts book..
‘Yeah, and you’d have to work hard to score in a brothel’
There.
Saved you the bother.
Judging all us Irish girls on bad experiences is a load of shite.
Grow up lads seriously. Defend your comments all ye’s like, I’ll still defend the ladies of Ireland that exist.
Id love to stay and really get into all this but I’ve a naggin to drink, a greyhound skirt to put on and wall to puke over.
Laters
Sam. What also demonstrates the point is the fact that Jack makes a series of what I assume were tongue in cheek generalisations-and you resort to personal insults, using toilet language. I think that sums up part of what he means perfectly.
Well you’ve done a great job representing the ladies of Ireland Sam
John, yup I sure have.
generalisations are usually right in fairness Sam. For example – all Jack DaCosta’s on the Journal are most likely socially awkward, attention seeking and lacking in the confidence to discuss issues openly. Oh and did I mention lazy (their ‘jokes’ are so regurgitated) and probably impotent. Hence the misogyny.
I think women like men who are different. When I was in Dublin I was the same as any other fool off tinder. When I played in a successfully band I got plenty of women. That stopped and so did the women. Over here in Scotland I ‘talk funny’ and ‘I’m cute’ all of a sudden. Some nights I’ve had been chatting up 3 girls at once. Makes no sense and annoys the f**k outta me lol Any girl care to shine the light?
Well done Nicola.
The Misogyny card, the Invirility card and Cowardice card all in one sentence.
Throw in Anger management and Puerilty cards and you’d have a full house of debate stopping ad hominems straight from the angry feminist bible.
Adam what band we’re you in
I’m shocking tired tonight Jack. Was up late reading my feminist bible and I’m up early in the morn to burn me bra. Can I just leave this here instead of a witty retort? https://www.google.ie/search?q=troll+food&oq=troll+food&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.7005j0j4&client=ms-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&espv=1&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=hJoW4APQYnLy2M%3A
Will I gt a virus if I click on that link?
‘Adm.
I lived in Edinburgh for a year.
Scottish women are great.
Easy going, good sense of humour.
Like Irish women in many respects but with the added ingredient of class.
Yes Jack, I’m based in Edinburgh. Great town, loads of nationalities here. To think a couple of months ago in Dublin I had girls covered in fake tan and a fag in there hand telling me I wasn’t as good looking as I thought I was and all this jazz…pure mean stuff. Those days are over and I’ll raise a drink to that.
Have a great time Adam.
Aren’t British women from Europe John?? Have you seen Boozed Up Brits and shows like that before?? Or ever been on holidays in a resort full of English ladies?? Its the minority, but you just let that colour your opinion of all women!! There’ll be more decent women left for us decent men.
I agree with jack. I live in the south of France and the irish girls here make me feel ashamed. Fallin out of every bar screaming or singing at the top of there voices. Squatting between cars to urinate. Drinking hard alcohol from there handbags. french girls have a lot more class. There really is no comparison. They do the same think like they are at home. Funny to see them in public walking in herds, burnt to a crisp. Plastered in make up, thinking they are great.
If you want a lady Jack, then act like a gentleman! The flaws you mention in irish women are seen equally in irish men! I do see the type of girls you’re talking about however out and about and i’ll say this, they’re headwreckers (especially if you’re stuck behind them in a queue for the toilets that isn’t moving) but they’re also the girls who get all the attention in bars… I think that’s because men think they’re easy and they’ll get the ride outta them.. So in a nutshell, you may think these girls represent Irish women but really i think that’s because they’re probably just the only type of girl you talk to or approach. This could be for a couple of reasons 1) they may seem more approachable cos they’re drunk and loud and actively seeking attention, 2) You’ve had a few drinks and you’ve gotten to the point where you don’t care about meeting a nice girl, you just want some action and they seem easier and 3) You’re less intimidated to approach them because you don’t really fancy them and so if you get rejected it won’t hurt as much! I guess to cut a long story short there are plenty of lovely Irish girls and maybe if you behave like a lovely irish fella which probably deep down you are, you’d come across them!
The Irish girl is by far a more adventurous animal since I first started hunting
What happened to the fridget types of the late ’90′s.
To get the shift on a first date was a big deal
Sam I can’t fault the Irish Cailin . Better the devil you know!!!
Personally I think it’s the fault of this Fine Gael government and the Bankers.
Niamh and Eoin look a nice match.
Hopefully they’ll stay together, open a joint savings account and one day move into a nicer apartment.
I can see what she’s doing with the hair there.
What would that be Jack? Are you a dab hand with the hairdo’s yourself, can I book you for a do.. you creative mad man ya!
How you doin Orla?
She probably wants a guy with a more manly surname.
BURN!
I just use it for the crack…
The Elephant man would get the ride on tinder
She claims it has ruined her opinion of Irish men, yet still sleeps with them on their first Tinder date…
Classic case of playing with fire and then blaming the fire when you get burned.
Sounds like yet another thing I’d be too old for.
I dated a girl with a wooden leg
Had to break it of sadly
I’m banned from Tinder for e-groping and animal antics, but if any nice ladies are still interested then please write me a letter and send it to my parents house. Please mark the envelope “Kinky sex – Urgent”,
Jack, Yer ma looked great on Tider.
”Jack, yer ma looked great on Tinder’
One of the funniest comments I’ve ever read on the journal Jay.
Cutting edge humour at its finest.
At this rate you’ll be replacing Michael McIntyre on Mock the Week in no time.
Is Michael McIntyre on Mock the Week?
The fact that it annoyed you Jack is good enough for the rest of us :)
Tinder is far closer to being a social media app than a dating app.
I tired to use Timber once… but I’d not matches!
‘Lynn’ seems to have an axe to grind.
dial a ride
I know which way I’d swipe on Jack, a right hook to his ugly mush!
If a man said that he’d be a thug. Is a threat of violence acceptable when made by a woman?
tks lads just in after having a great night out and laughing my ass off at the comments
@louise.
Watching too much Katy Taylor methinks.
No one mention the fake spam accounts that that try and link you to @tindating.com/sexysin?? Infuriating!!
I use it to light a fire?
I caught my wife on tinder on a fake profile looking for women,
Probably not what you want to hear but that is hot.
absolutely
Why not call it slappers and save time?
.
Polish women for one look after themselves unlike some of their iris counterparts. They are more direct honest & genuine. that’s what I think and I married a polish woman
the thing about tinder you don’t know what your getting piers for a start underage members asking for money best place is meet face to face and you won’t go wrong
James sounds like a catch. Can’t think why he’s still single.
have your say