Gerry Adams being found liable would be seismic moment, says DUP leader

The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has said it would be a "seismic" moment if a court rules that Gerry Adams is personally liable for the injuries three men received in IRA bomb attacks.

Gavin Robinson was speaking ahead of the second day of a civil trial being brought against the former Sinn Féin leader in London.

Adams strenuously denies any involvement in the London and Manchester bombings in 1973 and 1996 and has denied ever being a member of the IRA or sitting on its ruling army council.

Robinson and party colleague Gregory Campbell watched proceedings from the public gallery, seated three rows behind Adams.

It has been alleged in court that Adams is as "culpable" for the attacks as those who planted and detonated the bombs.

He is being sued for "vindicatory" damages of £1 each by John Clark, Jonathan Ganesh and Barry Laycock, who were injured respectively in the Old Bailey attack in 1973 and the London Docklands and Manchester bombings in 1996.

Adams' lawyers have claimed the case is built on "an assortment of hearsay evidence".

They have also criticised the timing of the case, which is being brought several decades after the attacks.

Robinson said: "I think it's important for us and the experience that we have had in Northern Ireland to stand here with victims who experienced the trauma of the troubles right across the United Kingdom.

"We have met Jonathan Ganesh on a number of occasions, and we think this is an important case.

"I believe that Gerry Adams was in the IRA.

"That won't change through this case, but if our system establishes that he was, and that liability rests with him, then that will be seismic."

'Seeking some sort of justice'

The court has been hearing from its first witness, Jonathan Ganesh.

He was a security guard based at South Quay Docklands at the time of the explosion in February 1996, which blew him off his feet and perforated his ear drums.

Two of his friends were killed and he suffers from significant post-traumatic stress disorder.

Ganesh told the court that he is seeking "some sort of justice" for himself, as well as other IRA victims.

Under cross-examination he was asked: "You want to be able to say that Gerry Adams is the man responsible for the bomb that injured you?"

He replied: "That's right."

Ganesh continued: "I don't suggest for one minute that Mr Adams planted the bomb.

"I do believe he played a major part in the IRA and I thought he had some involvement with the attack."