RUC KEPT OMAGH EVIDENCE IN 'MESS'
RUC kept Omagh evidence in 'mess'
SCENES of crime officer yesterday admitted to the Omagh bomb trial that a storeroom in a police station where crime
exhibits were kept was a"complete mess".
Under cross-examination from defence barrister Orlando Pownall QC, Robert Wilkinson admitted the special property store at Newry police station - where items removed from crime scenes where stored - was a mess.
Mr Wilkinson attended the scene of a mortar van bomb at Corry Square in Newry. The vehicle was abandoned at the rear of the city's RUC station less than one month before the Omagh bomb.
Sean Hoey (37), from Molly Road in Jonesborough, south Armagh, is accused of 58 terrorist-related charges including causing the explosion at Corry Square.
He has also been charged with murdering those who lost their lives in the Omagh bombing in August 1998. The electrician denies all the charges against him.
Mr Wilkinson told the court he removed items from the scene at Corry Square. Some of these were taken to the forensic science lab while others were placed in the special property store at Newry.
Mr Pownell questioned the scenes of crime officer about whether items placed in the store appeared in the property register. After admitting some items were not in the book, Mr Wilkinson agreed that finding items was "like looking for a needle in a haystack sometimes".
After also admitting that some bags containing items sometimes split in the storeroom, Mr Pownell asked: "Would you agree that in 1998 the special property storeroom where exhibits were kept was a complete mess?"
The witness replied: "Yes."
Earlier in the hearing an ammunitions technical officer who attended the scene of the 1701bs mortar bomb in Newry was asked his opinion on the device.
Christopher Saunders told Mr Justice Weir he believed the intended target was the police station, adding "the purpose was to cause considerable damage, death or casualties".
A Co Tyrone woman revealed that a man who got out of a maroon-coloured car which later exploded in the centre of Omagh grinned at her before walking down Market Street with the vehicle's driver.
Ruth Buchanan had parked her car in the town on the afternoon of August 15 1998.
She said she had waited in the parked car in Market Street while her mother picked up some groceries.
Around 2pm, a maroon Vauxhall Cavalier pulled into a space in front and two men in their twenties got out of the vehicle.
Telling the court that both the driver and passenger were "very neat in appearance and looked like soldiers", Ms Buchanan said the passenger made eye contact and grinned at her as "he stood on the footpath.
She said that while he appeared "calm and relaxed", the other man "had a more serious expression" as he looked down Market Street. She noticed both men walked down Market Street.
The trial continues.
SCENES of crime officer yesterday admitted to the Omagh bomb trial that a storeroom in a police station where crime
exhibits were kept was a"complete mess".
Under cross-examination from defence barrister Orlando Pownall QC, Robert Wilkinson admitted the special property store at Newry police station - where items removed from crime scenes where stored - was a mess.
Mr Wilkinson attended the scene of a mortar van bomb at Corry Square in Newry. The vehicle was abandoned at the rear of the city's RUC station less than one month before the Omagh bomb.
Sean Hoey (37), from Molly Road in Jonesborough, south Armagh, is accused of 58 terrorist-related charges including causing the explosion at Corry Square.
He has also been charged with murdering those who lost their lives in the Omagh bombing in August 1998. The electrician denies all the charges against him.
Mr Wilkinson told the court he removed items from the scene at Corry Square. Some of these were taken to the forensic science lab while others were placed in the special property store at Newry.
Mr Pownell questioned the scenes of crime officer about whether items placed in the store appeared in the property register. After admitting some items were not in the book, Mr Wilkinson agreed that finding items was "like looking for a needle in a haystack sometimes".
After also admitting that some bags containing items sometimes split in the storeroom, Mr Pownell asked: "Would you agree that in 1998 the special property storeroom where exhibits were kept was a complete mess?"
The witness replied: "Yes."
Earlier in the hearing an ammunitions technical officer who attended the scene of the 1701bs mortar bomb in Newry was asked his opinion on the device.
Christopher Saunders told Mr Justice Weir he believed the intended target was the police station, adding "the purpose was to cause considerable damage, death or casualties".
A Co Tyrone woman revealed that a man who got out of a maroon-coloured car which later exploded in the centre of Omagh grinned at her before walking down Market Street with the vehicle's driver.
Ruth Buchanan had parked her car in the town on the afternoon of August 15 1998.
She said she had waited in the parked car in Market Street while her mother picked up some groceries.
Around 2pm, a maroon Vauxhall Cavalier pulled into a space in front and two men in their twenties got out of the vehicle.
Telling the court that both the driver and passenger were "very neat in appearance and looked like soldiers", Ms Buchanan said the passenger made eye contact and grinned at her as "he stood on the footpath.
She said that while he appeared "calm and relaxed", the other man "had a more serious expression" as he looked down Market Street. She noticed both men walked down Market Street.
The trial continues.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0807
Published Date: 05-Oct-06
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