mingham Crown Court has opened on a low political key The main thrust of the prosecution has been around certain documents. which they allege belong to Father Fell The documents, they claim. relate to IRA activities in this coun try and include maps, instructions on how to make fire bombs and other incriminating material. On the baxis of these documents they hope to pin guilt on Fell, and if they can do they will then implicate the other six, simply through their as sociation with Fell, to convict them oil conspiracy charges.
However all has not gone well for the prosecution. The Jeading police witnesses have been forced to make a number of damaging admissions: for example they have admitted searchwarrant and subsequently tampering: with the evidence against him. The defence has also brought into the open a number of instances of ill treatment when the men were being questioned at the police station refusal of food and drink, refusal of a solicitor physical and mental intimidation and brutality, ete. A picket was maintained outside the court throughout the first week, and preparations are going ahead to hold a mass picket toward the end of the trial on Friday, 2 November. Whatever the outcome the level of support achieved in the case of the Coventry 7 has shown that it is possible to defend victims of repres sion, and this will make it much casier to fight on future cases. But sections of the work force, angry al mising an opportunity to achieve 1 unity unknown for years, refused to return to work. Management guickly locked-out The entire wurk-force, and in addition loca management tried to make the sacking of several militants a condition for re opening the works.
However natical management were unprepared al this stage to risk the loss of production which this move might ertail, and over-ruled jocal management on this point. But although this threat was held in reserve, conditions for re-opening the plant were severe. they included a
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