OMAGH BLAST ACCUSED'S HEARING IN DATE MIX-UP
Omagh blast accused's hearing in date mix-up
By Claire Regan and Maureen Coleman
COMMITTAL proceedings against the man accused of the Omagh bombing were delayed today because of an administrative mix-up over dates.
Sean Hoey, (35), had been due before Belfast Magistrate's Court this morning but failed to turn up on time.
When prison staff discovered that the defendant was expected in court, he was quickly rushed to the proceedings.
A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Prison Service said: "Sean Hoey was late in court because of an administrative oversight. Once it became clear he was required in court, we acted immediately."
It is understood the mix-up was caused by an error in the date of his appearance.
Today's court proceedings were due to have started at 10.30am but it was almost 12.20pm when Hoey appeared.
Michael and Patsy Gallagher whose son Aidan died in the 1998 atrocity were among those who sat waiting for proceedings to begin.
When Hoey did arrive in the dock he waved to the public gallery.
Magistrate Des Perry said: "I think it is better to say nothing about the fiasco that kept us two hours late."
Dr Frederica Holmes, a forensic voice analyst immediately took the witness stand.
The committal proceedings heard yesterday that the Oxford-educated expert compared taped recordings of one of Hoey's police interviews and a telephoned bomb warning received by the emergency services regarding a device in Banbridge before the Omagh explosion.
Defence lawyer Martin O'Rourke told yesterday's hearing that Dr Holmes' report concluded that the voices were "more likely than not" to be the same speaker.
She told today's hearing that both voices shared a number of matching features including voice quality and frequency, some similarities with intonation and broad similarities with regards to accent.
Hoey, of Molly Road, Jonesborough, is accused of 61 terrorist and explosive offences, including the no-warning Real IRA attack in Omagh seven years ago.
At hearing.
By Claire Regan and Maureen Coleman
COMMITTAL proceedings against the man accused of the Omagh bombing were delayed today because of an administrative mix-up over dates.
Sean Hoey, (35), had been due before Belfast Magistrate's Court this morning but failed to turn up on time.
When prison staff discovered that the defendant was expected in court, he was quickly rushed to the proceedings.
A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Prison Service said: "Sean Hoey was late in court because of an administrative oversight. Once it became clear he was required in court, we acted immediately."
It is understood the mix-up was caused by an error in the date of his appearance.
Today's court proceedings were due to have started at 10.30am but it was almost 12.20pm when Hoey appeared.
Michael and Patsy Gallagher whose son Aidan died in the 1998 atrocity were among those who sat waiting for proceedings to begin.
When Hoey did arrive in the dock he waved to the public gallery.
Magistrate Des Perry said: "I think it is better to say nothing about the fiasco that kept us two hours late."
Dr Frederica Holmes, a forensic voice analyst immediately took the witness stand.
The committal proceedings heard yesterday that the Oxford-educated expert compared taped recordings of one of Hoey's police interviews and a telephoned bomb warning received by the emergency services regarding a device in Banbridge before the Omagh explosion.
Defence lawyer Martin O'Rourke told yesterday's hearing that Dr Holmes' report concluded that the voices were "more likely than not" to be the same speaker.
She told today's hearing that both voices shared a number of matching features including voice quality and frequency, some similarities with intonation and broad similarities with regards to accent.
Hoey, of Molly Road, Jonesborough, is accused of 61 terrorist and explosive offences, including the no-warning Real IRA attack in Omagh seven years ago.
At hearing.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0976
Published Date: 31-Aug-05
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