Day 258 - 07 Jun 96 - Page 50
1 A. Sorry, London Greenpeace. I have met with Special
2 Branch to do with animal rights activities, which were of
3 much more concern to me at that time than
4 London Greenpeace.
5
6 Q. But the very first time you met with Special Branch
7 about-----
8 A. As far as you were concerned; as far as
9 London Greenpeace was concerned.
10
11 Q. So, you may have had meetings with Special Branch prior to
12 June 1989?
13 A. Yes, to do with animal rights. I have been meeting
14 with Special Branch since 1984 to do with animal rights.
15
16 Q. What, on a regular basis?
17 A. No, no.
18
19 Q. But quite a few times?
20 A. Half a dozen maybe, over the course of six, seven
21 years.
22
23 Q. Was that at your initiation or at theirs?
24
25 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Look, I really must ask you to put what you
26 are aiming at here, because I just do not know. I do not
27 want this case on either side just to be an information
28 gathering exercise. It has to be applied to the particular
29 issues in the case.
30
31 MS. STEEL: It was before, but, yes -- I have gone a bit -- it
32 was the point about having, you know, not him saying, I do
33 not know, the first time he met was in September.
34
35 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If what I will call "background information"
36 is relevant to cast doubt on some of the evidence about
37 publication, as I understand it, if background information
38 is relevant to the suggestion of some improper motive for
39 bringing the proceedings or putting out the material upon
40 which your counterclaim is founded, I understand that. But
41 what I would like you to make sure you do do before you end
42 your cross-examination is if there is any suggestion of
43 that kind, put it straight to Mr. Nicholson, because he is
44 one of the people whom, understandably, you have specified
45 as the flesh and blood of the malice allegation. If you
46 say he had improper motives which cast a shadow over the
47 Second Plaintiff, then you should put it to him.
48
49 MR. MORRIS: Talking about why you were concerned about or why
50 you brought the action, in that leaflet, the Aims and
51 Objectives leaflet, it talks about London Greenpeace being
52 actively involved in -- maybe it is worth getting that
53 leaflet out. It is actually behind Paul Preston's
54 statement appendix 1. I am not sure where that would be.
55 Publication volume 2, I think. Yellow.
56 A. Yellow 1?
57
58 Q. Is it yellow 1. I have got 2 here.
59 A. Paul Preston is in yellow 1.
60
