Scottish Catholic Observer

Two police officers in Scotland have been cleared of sectarian questioning of Gail Sheridan, wife of former Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan, but questions remain over their conduct.

The detectives said they were right to interrogate Mrs Sheridan (above) on her Catholic Faith because she had chosen not to make an oath to God during court proceedings, however court records reveal she did in fact swear such an oath, according to a national newspaper today.

The reasoning the two detectives gave for their rigorous examination of Mrs Sheridan’s religious beliefs was that they were right to interrogate her on her Faith because she had chosen not to make an oath to God when she testified in her husband’s defamation trial.

During a Police Scotland internal probe, Detective Chief Inspector Gavin Barry and Detective Sergeant Stuart Harkness admitted making Mrs Sheridan, 50, remove her Rosary beads. They also admitted asking if she had been schooled by the IRA in interrogation techniques. They told the police standards department that the former MP’s wife chose not to make an oath to God before her testimony in a defamation action taken by her husband against the News of the World in 2006. The officers argued that choosing to make a non-religious affirmation at the High Court meant it was more likely that she would lie during the trial.

The officers claimed this gave them good reason to quiz Mrs Sheridan on her religion and they were subsequently cleared of bigoted conduct by internal police investigator Chief Inspector Mark Anderson. Court records, however, clearly show that Mrs Sheridan, a Catholic, did indeed swear an oath in court.

Mrs Sheridan’s lawyer lawyer Gordon Dangerfield is now calling for a full and proper inquiry handled by an independent force and involving lawyers independent of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

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