A DETECTIVE who interviewed a dissident republican suspect about his alleged involvement in the murder of prison officer David Black today rejected suggestions his CCTV identification of the suspect "is worthless".
The officer was giving evidence in the non-jury trial of Damien McLaughlin (41), from Kilmascally Road near Ardboe, Co Tyrone.
The detective, who did accept this was the first time he had ever been asked to make such an identifiction in his 30 years as an officer, claimed that as he watched CCTV images of McLaughlin, while interviewing him, he "came to believe" it was him.
McLaughlin, who denies a total of six charges including aiding and abetting the drive-by shooting of 52-year-old father-of-two Mr Black and IRA membership, is being tried at Belfast Crown Court.
Mr Black was shot and killed on the M1 as he drove to work in Maghaberry jail in November 2012.
During cross-examination by defence QC Orlando Pownall, the officer accepted his identification "was markedly different" from that of a normal independent identification witness, and that it was "quite unusual, if not unique for an investigating officer to become an identitification witness".
While agreeing "the investigating team", believed McLaughlin was the man in the CCTV, the court heard there were "issues over the identification".
At one stage when Mr Pownall pointed out that there were "no significant, no distinctive identification features" in the CCTV footage to identify McLaughlin, the detective said one area was that "he has a bit of a bulbous nose". However, he agreed he had "not recorded that anywhere".
The officer further accepted that the colour of the suspect's eyes or hair could not be identified from the CCTV footage, nor could his voice be heard, or his height discerned.
Mr Pownall also put it to the detective while there were "no marks, no mole, or tattoo", one thing recorded as being identified was that the man in the CCTV was wearing "a ring", but that McLaughlin had none. The lawyer also said none of the distinctive clothes worn by the suspect were recovered from his home.
"I am going to suggest, the reality is, although probably you won't accept it, in the circumstances that prevailed at the time of your proported identification ... it is worthless", Mr Pownall said.
"It's your suggestion," replied the detective, who added: "It's not my opinion".
At hearing.
