The leader of the DUP has said it will be seismic if a British court rules that Gerry Adams was a member of the IRA.
The former Sinn Féin leader is being sued in a civil action in the High Court in London by three victims of IRA bomb attacks who claim he was directly responsible for what happened.
It is the first time a court has been asked to adjudicate on claims that Mr Adams was a member of the IRA, which he has always denied.
The action is being brought by John Clark, a victim of the Old Bailey attack in 1973, and Jonathan Ganesh and Barry Laycock, who were injured in bomb attacks at London's Docklands and Manchester's Arndale Shopping Centre in 1996.
In documents submitted to the High Court, the claimants allege that Mr Adams was "directly responsible for and complicit in the decisions made" to detonate the bombs because of what they say was his role within the IRA.
Lawyers for the former Louth TD and MP for West Belfast told the hearing yesterday that he "categorically and emphatically" denies the allegation and that the case was built on hearsay evidence.
Speaking on his way into the court for the second day of the hearing, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said it was important for his party to support those taking the case and that the outcome could be "seismic".
"I think it's important for us and the experience that we have had in Northern Ireland to stand here with victims who experienced the trauma of the troubles right across the United Kingdom," he said.
"We have met Jonathan Ganesh on a number of occasions, and we think this is an important case. I believe that Gerry Adams was in the IRA. That won't change through this case, but if our system establishes that he was, and that liability rests with him, then that will be seismic.
"It is true that he was the leader of a Republican movement that was responsible for breaking hearts and homes and scarring our nation and today, in this case, is an opportunity for justice for victims and that's why we're here in support of them."
The DUP leader and his party colleague Gregory Campbell MP then went into the courtroom and sat three rows behind Mr Adams as the trial continued.
IRA bomb victim says seeking 'some form of justice'
An IRA bomb victim told the hearing that he is suing Mr Adams to seek justice for all victims of the IRA.
Jonathan Ganesh was working as a security guard when he was injured in the Docklands bombing in February 1996, which killed two of his friends.
He told the court that he has suffered from significant post-traumatic stress disorder since the explosion.
Asked why he was suing Mr Adams for symbolic damages of £1, Mr Ganesh said he was seeking "some form of justice" for all IRA victims and he wanted to be able to say that Mr Adams was the man responsible for the bombing.
"The IRA's victims have never had justice. All I want is the truth. He's the man responsible," he told the court.
He added: "I don’t suggest for one minute that he drove the lorry or planted the bomb, I do believe he played a major part in the IRA, and I believe he had some involvement in the attack."
Mr Ganesh told the court that he had not initiated legal proceedings at an earlier stage because of the trauma he suffered, including mental health problems.
"I was in a very dark place. I wasn't eating, I wasn't functioning at all, I wasn't eating, I wasn't sleeping, the last thing on my mind was taking any kind of legal action," he added.
He said he was also afraid of possible consequences from the IRA.
Mr Ganesh said the catalyst for his legal action was a decision by Mr Adams to take legal action against the British government for seeking to prevent the payment of damages to those who were interned without trial in the 1970s.
This afternoon, the court heard evidence from a second claimant Barry Laycock.
He suffered back and leg injuries in the Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre on 15 June 1996.
The court was told he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and suffers flashbacks and nightmares.
Mr Laycock told the court that seeking justice for what happened "has been important for 28 years".
"That's the reason I’m sat here today," he added.
The third claimant John Clark, a victim of the Old Bailey bomb attack in London in 1973, is too ill to attend court.
Mr Adams was charged with IRA membership in 1978, but the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence.
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Speaking outside the court, Garry Adams said he did not take Gavin Robinson's remarks seriously.
He said: "I don’t take Mr Robinson’s remarks too seriously. I think all of us have a duty to show solidarity to all the victims, no matter who was responsible for their injuries or their deaths, and I think that's fair enough.
"He'd be better spending his time and using his energy and his talent to make sure that the Stormont Assembly and the other institutions worked for the benefit of all of the people on the island of Ireland, particularly the people of the North.
"I would like to think that he would use his energies to make sure that the political institutions deliver for everyone."
