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Denis Donaldson's family dismayed over inquest delay

Donaldson family Denis DonaldsonDonaldson family
Denis Donaldson was shot dead in April 2006

The family of a murdered former Sinn Féin official and police informer have said they are "dismayed" over continued delays to an inquest into his death.

Denis Donaldson was shot dead in 2006.

The murder, which was claimed by the Real IRA, came months after he was exposed as an agent who had worked for the police and MI5 for 20 years.

The family's solicitor said that "over the past 12 and a half years, the inquest had been adjourned on 22 consecutive occasions".

Ciarán Shiels accused "criminal justice agencies, north and south" of "time-wasting and obstruction".

He also called on Garda (Irish police) Commissioner Drew Harris to release a journal kept by Mr Donaldson back to the family.

The family have previously urged the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland, Dr Michael Maguire, to take legal action that would force the Irish police to give full access to his journal.

They have claimed that the journal, which was seized by Gardaí from the remote cottage in the hills of Donegal's north west coast where he was shot, has "significant investigative value".

The cottage in the Glenties, Donegal, where Mr Donaldson was killed
Mr Donaldson was shot dead at a cottage in the Glenties, Donegal

Gardaí have previously told the family the journal will not be returned to them for reasons of "national security".

Mr Shiels said that Mr Harris can "spare the Donaldson family further distress" by publicly announcing that the journal will be returned when he appears before the Policing Authority in Dublin on Thursday.

It is understood the family will meet with the Irish police in October and has already met with the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman in July.

On Wednesday, the inquest into Mr Donaldson's death was adjourned after it heard that a file had been sent by Irish police to the director of public prosecutions in the Republic of Ireland.