BARRISTER ATTACKS INTEGRITY OF EVIDENCE IN OMAGH BOMB TRIAL
Barrister attacks integrity evidence in Omagh bomb trial
THE London barrister acting for alleged Omagh bomber Sean Hoey has attacked the integrity of prosecution exhibits.
Cross-examining scenes-of-crime officer (Soco) Fiona Cooper at Belfast Crown Court yesterday, Orlando Pownall QC put it to her that when she attended the scene of a mortar attack at Forkhill RUC Station in March 1998, the idea that the items would be sent for DNA analysis "never entered your mind".
Mrs Cooper agreed, and further said her "principal concern" was relating to potential fingerprints and fibre evidence as well as "other trace evidence".
She said she did not consider potential DNA evidence as "the technology for Low Copy Number DNA was not readily available at that time".
Mr Pownall further suggested that the items taken from the scene were not properly bagged and sealed, but she refuted this.
She said: "They were placed in bags at Forkhill [Station] but they were properly sealed and labelled at Bessbrook".
When asked by Mr Justice Weir why the timer power unit was not photographed, Mrs Cooper told the judge it "must've been overlooked".
Hoey, from Molly Road, Jonesborough, is on trial before Diplock judge Mr Justice Weir.
It is understood that the prosecution against the south Armagh electrician (36) concerns mainly DNA evidence allegedly uncovered from Low Copy Number DNA testing.
It is also known that further DNA tests, under a different procedure, were carried out on two specific items of evidence just prior to the case starting.
In addition to the murders of 29 people killed in the blast, Hoey faces other terror charges.
He is charged with and denies 58 charges, relating not only to the Omagh bomb, but to six other murder conspiracies, five bombings, four bomb conspiracies, and the possession of explosives including timer power units, mortars and bombs.
Hoey denies the murders and to causing the bombing, and to possessing explosives namely a timer power unit between March 3, 1997 and August 16, 1998.
The six murder conspiracies against security force members were allegedly planned for Blackwaterstown Road, Armagh, between May 19 and July 11, 1998; Altmore Forest, Dungannon between April 10 and 13, 2001; The G30 Military Base, Crossmaglen and Forkhill RUC/Army Base, both on March 24, 1998; Belleek RUC Station, May 9, 1998, and Newry RUC Station, July 21, 1998. Hoey also denies possessing bomb timer power units and causing mortar bomb explosions at, Crossmaglen, Forkhill, Belleek and Newry RUC Station. He is also accused of causing explosions at Banbridge on August 1, 1998, and Finaghy halt Railway Station on May 24, 1998 and with conspiring to cause explosions, and possession of explosives, at Blackwaterstown Road, Armagh; and in Lisburn, between March 11 and May 1, 1998. and Newry between March 3 and July 14, 1998.
At hearing.
THE London barrister acting for alleged Omagh bomber Sean Hoey has attacked the integrity of prosecution exhibits.
Cross-examining scenes-of-crime officer (Soco) Fiona Cooper at Belfast Crown Court yesterday, Orlando Pownall QC put it to her that when she attended the scene of a mortar attack at Forkhill RUC Station in March 1998, the idea that the items would be sent for DNA analysis "never entered your mind".
Mrs Cooper agreed, and further said her "principal concern" was relating to potential fingerprints and fibre evidence as well as "other trace evidence".
She said she did not consider potential DNA evidence as "the technology for Low Copy Number DNA was not readily available at that time".
Mr Pownall further suggested that the items taken from the scene were not properly bagged and sealed, but she refuted this.
She said: "They were placed in bags at Forkhill [Station] but they were properly sealed and labelled at Bessbrook".
When asked by Mr Justice Weir why the timer power unit was not photographed, Mrs Cooper told the judge it "must've been overlooked".
Hoey, from Molly Road, Jonesborough, is on trial before Diplock judge Mr Justice Weir.
It is understood that the prosecution against the south Armagh electrician (36) concerns mainly DNA evidence allegedly uncovered from Low Copy Number DNA testing.
It is also known that further DNA tests, under a different procedure, were carried out on two specific items of evidence just prior to the case starting.
In addition to the murders of 29 people killed in the blast, Hoey faces other terror charges.
He is charged with and denies 58 charges, relating not only to the Omagh bomb, but to six other murder conspiracies, five bombings, four bomb conspiracies, and the possession of explosives including timer power units, mortars and bombs.
Hoey denies the murders and to causing the bombing, and to possessing explosives namely a timer power unit between March 3, 1997 and August 16, 1998.
The six murder conspiracies against security force members were allegedly planned for Blackwaterstown Road, Armagh, between May 19 and July 11, 1998; Altmore Forest, Dungannon between April 10 and 13, 2001; The G30 Military Base, Crossmaglen and Forkhill RUC/Army Base, both on March 24, 1998; Belleek RUC Station, May 9, 1998, and Newry RUC Station, July 21, 1998. Hoey also denies possessing bomb timer power units and causing mortar bomb explosions at, Crossmaglen, Forkhill, Belleek and Newry RUC Station. He is also accused of causing explosions at Banbridge on August 1, 1998, and Finaghy halt Railway Station on May 24, 1998 and with conspiring to cause explosions, and possession of explosives, at Blackwaterstown Road, Armagh; and in Lisburn, between March 11 and May 1, 1998. and Newry between March 3 and July 14, 1998.
At hearing.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/1020
Published Date: 27-Sep-06
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