Journalist faces £25,000 legal bill
Published Monday, 26 October 2009
The northern editor of Sunday Tribune, Suzanne Breen, could be hit with a £25,000 legal bill despite winning a landmark case against the PSNI.
The police had been seeking to force the journalist to hand over material relating to the Real IRA's claim of responsibility for the murder of two soldiers at Massereene Barracks last March.
At Belfast Recorder's Court the PSNI opposed an application by Ms. Breen for the costs she incurred at the hearing last June.
This had resulted in Judge Tom Burgess ruling in her favour because of the risk to her life if she agreed to the police request.
A lawyer for the PSNI urged Judge Burgess not to make any order for costs, which would mean each side paying their own legal bills.
The lawyer said the Chief Constable had no alternative but to bring the action in order to attempt to secure access to significant evidence relating to the double murder and wounding of four others.