OMAGH BOMBERS 'MEANT TO MAXIMISE THE CARNAGE'
Omagh bombers 'meant to maximise the carnage'
THE dissident republicans who bombed the heart out of Omagh, killing 29 people, meant to kill.
The claim was made by prosecuting QC Gordon Kerr at the Belfast Crown Court trial of 37-year-old south Armagh electrician Sean Hoey.
Mr Kerr's claim came in answer to a defence call for the trial of Hoey to be aborted and for him to be acquitted of all 58 charges he denies, including the Omagh bomb murders.
The lawyer told judge Mr Justice Weir that the warnings given about the bombing were vague, misleading, inaccurate and wrong, unlike the warnings given for other bombings in 1998.
Mr Kerr claimed the motive behind those issuing the warnings was calculated to mislead the police and so cause the carnage it did that August.
The lawyer began by contrasting the warnings given at earlier attacks, starting with Lisburn in April that year. He demonstrated that the 10 warnings given for Lisburn were concise and accurate, setting out not only the location, bomb size, vehicle used, but also the time available before any possible explosion.
Mr Kerr said that in this case, given the number of calls made and the type of information supplied, it would be hard for any prosecutor to argue those involved intended to kill.
Turning to the Newry Road, Armagh attack the following month, Mr Kerr said although two warning calls were made, the bomb parked outside the local police station had already been spotted and the alarm raised.
He added that the attack on Newry Courthouse was somewhat similar in that the car bomb stood out like a sore thumb and that the four telephoned warnings clearly set out the location and make of vehicle used.
However, when considering Omagh, Mr Kerr said nothing like this was done when the warning calls were made, and the question had to be asked why the bombers didn't.
Mr Kerr claimed the Omagh bombers had accurate information because the timing given for the explosion was correct.
The lawyer further claimed that if the bombers' intention was simply to destroy property they could have given the authorities more time, and provided them with an accurate location and description of the car bomb itself.
The trial continues.
THE dissident republicans who bombed the heart out of Omagh, killing 29 people, meant to kill.
The claim was made by prosecuting QC Gordon Kerr at the Belfast Crown Court trial of 37-year-old south Armagh electrician Sean Hoey.
Mr Kerr's claim came in answer to a defence call for the trial of Hoey to be aborted and for him to be acquitted of all 58 charges he denies, including the Omagh bomb murders.
The lawyer told judge Mr Justice Weir that the warnings given about the bombing were vague, misleading, inaccurate and wrong, unlike the warnings given for other bombings in 1998.
Mr Kerr claimed the motive behind those issuing the warnings was calculated to mislead the police and so cause the carnage it did that August.
The lawyer began by contrasting the warnings given at earlier attacks, starting with Lisburn in April that year. He demonstrated that the 10 warnings given for Lisburn were concise and accurate, setting out not only the location, bomb size, vehicle used, but also the time available before any possible explosion.
Mr Kerr said that in this case, given the number of calls made and the type of information supplied, it would be hard for any prosecutor to argue those involved intended to kill.
Turning to the Newry Road, Armagh attack the following month, Mr Kerr said although two warning calls were made, the bomb parked outside the local police station had already been spotted and the alarm raised.
He added that the attack on Newry Courthouse was somewhat similar in that the car bomb stood out like a sore thumb and that the four telephoned warnings clearly set out the location and make of vehicle used.
However, when considering Omagh, Mr Kerr said nothing like this was done when the warning calls were made, and the question had to be asked why the bombers didn't.
Mr Kerr claimed the Omagh bombers had accurate information because the timing given for the explosion was correct.
The lawyer further claimed that if the bombers' intention was simply to destroy property they could have given the authorities more time, and provided them with an accurate location and description of the car bomb itself.
The trial continues.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/1030
Published Date: 19-Dec-06
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.