IRA membership case collapse latest embarrassment for PPS

A case over the alleged rape of Máiría Cahill by an IRA member also collapsed

The collapse of the trial of Padraic Wilson and Sean Hughes is the second major embarrassment for the Public Prosecution Service in just two weeks.

It follows a review into the handling of three cases linked to the alleged rape of Belfast woman Máiría Cahill and two other women, and claims of an IRA cover-up.

The review was carried out by Sir Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions for England and Wales.

Three trials collapsed when the alleged victims withdrew their evidence.

Five people were acquitted of all charges against them.

One of those acquitted of IRA membership was prominent republican Padraic Wilson.

Mr Wilson and another prominent republican, Sean Hughes, had been due to stand trial accused of membership of the Provisional IRA, and arranging meetings on behalf of the organisation.

But their trial collapsed on Wednesday when the PPS announced that it would not be offering any evidence against them.

No reasons were given for the decision, but it is understood that, as in the Máiría Cahill cases, key witnesses withdrew their evidence.

That is a major embarrassment for the Public Prosecution Service.

In his report published last month, Sir Keir Starmer was strongly critical of the way the PPS handled the three earlier cases.

He said Máiría Cahill and the other two women had been "let down" by the PPS and that it had taken too long to reach decisions. Sir Keir described delays in the cases as "unacceptable".

At the time the Director of Public Prosecutions, Barra McGrory QC, apologised to the three alleged victims and accepted it was a bad day for his office.

Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory apologised following the report of Sir Keir Starmer