Gerry Adams BBC libel case: Austin Stack urges ex-Sinn Fein leader to donate BBC damages to IRA victims' charity
A southern Irish man whose prison officer father was murdered by the IRA has urged Gerry Adams to give the 100,000 euro damages he won from the BBC to charity
The former Sinn Fein leader sued the BBC over 2016 reports which he said defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson. Mr Adams denies any involvement in the murder.
On Friday, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in Mr Adams' favour and awarded him €100,000 (£84,000) in damages.
Austin Stack's father, Brian, was the chief prison officer at Portlaoise Prison when he was shot by the IRA in 1983, dying 18 months later.
Mr Stack, his brother and Mr Adams met a senior republican with knowledge of the murder in 2013.
In the aftermath, Mr Adams said he handed over names of four suspects provided by Mr Stack to gardai. However, Mr Stack firmly denied giving any names to Mr Adams.
Speaking in the wake of last week's trial, he urged Mr Adams to give his damages to charity.
“I would ask that he gives the money from the trial to a charity which looks after victims of the IRA in the Republic of Ireland,” he told the News Letter.
He still has questions he would like Mr Adams to answer.
“Why did he say that I gave him names of those alleged to have questions to answer in relation to my Dad’s murder – when I didn't?” he asked.
“And why did he tell myself and my brother that we would be kept on the southern side of the border when we went to meet the IRA – but later claimed in the Dail that we went to south Armagh?”
Mr Stack also asked why Mr Adams would not take all the information he has in relation to his father's murder to the Garda.
“Mr Adams claimed that he asked his friend, who we met, to carry out an investigation in relation to the murder.
“The investigator had to report back to him and indicated to us that he had met with those responsible.
“So will Adams also give the name of this IRA man to the Garda?”