Judgement has been reserved in a High Court action brought by the uncle of murder victim David McIlwaine against police who he alleges forced him to identify his nephew's badly mutilated body.
Alan Steele is suing the Chief Constable for psychological injuries he says were inflicted by having to perform the task after the victim's remains were brought to the morgue.
The 18-year-old was stabbed to death alongside his friend Andrew Robb, 19, in February 2000.
Their bodies were then dumped by a road near Tandragee, Co Armagh.
The double murder came weeks after alleged UVF leader Richard Jameson was shot dead in nearby Portadown.
Mr Steele has claimed officers did not care about making him identify the body because they wrongly believed David, who had no paramilitary links, was a member of the rival LVF.
Stress
During the case Mr Steele gave evidence of suffering post-traumatic stress disorder as a consequence of having to identify a body which was said to have been almost decapitated.
He alleged that a police sergeant told him if he did not go to the morgue there was a danger that David's parents - who had been shopping in Belfast - would hear of his death over the car radio.
Lawyers for the Chief Constable unsuccessfully applied to have the case struck out - by claiming Mr Steele qualified as neither a primary or secondary victim and that police have an immunity from any duty of care obligations when investigating a criminal act.
But in his closing submissions David Ringland QC revived his argument that the plaintiff could not be classed as a primary victim because he was not in any physical danger.
Ronnie Bentley QC, for Mr Steele, countered by pointing to police allegedly warning that David's murder would be discovered through the media.
Mr Bentley added: "I submit the plaintiff's version of these events has the ring of truth to it.
"The defendants have called no evidence of any warning, instructions of preparations being given to this plaintiff who was exhibiting real problems in relation to the identification process."
After hearing both sides the judge, Lord Justice Coghlin said he would reserve his verdict for a short period.
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