OMAGH TRIAL 'MAY END ON TUESDAY'
Omagh trial 'may end on Tuesday'
By Alan Erwin PA
THE marathon Omagh bomb trial is expected to finish on Tuesday, a lawyer has revealed.
Closing submissions will begin on Monday before the judge Mr Justice Weir retires to consider his verdict.
It is expected to be a reserved judgment delivered within two months. Lawyers for Sean Hoey, the south Armagh man accused of murdering 29 people in the bombing, confirmed the case was likely to close after they dealt with a new statement from a forensics witness.
Since it opened at Belfast Crown Court last September as one of the biggest criminal trials in British and Northern Ireland legal history, it has sat on 53 days. Prosecutors have attempted to prove Hoey (37) was to blame for 56 terrorist-related charges, including the August 1998 Real IRA bombing which devastated Omagh. Their case depends heavily on DNA profiling and fibres evidence.
However, amid questions over apparent alterations to a detonator used in another attack the electrician from Molly Road, Jonesborough, is accused of, forensic scientist Gordon McMillen was recalled to give evidence. Orlando Pownall QC, defending, had challenged him to give a reason for the unexplained changes to the device he studied after it was attached to 5001b of home-made explosives used in a foiled attack on an Armagh police station in May 1998.
With wrongly-labelled exhibits a key issue in the trial of Mr Hoey, who denies all charges against him, Mr McMillen was asked to re-examine the detonator after wires had apparently tripled in length and report back to the trial. His statement was given to the defence team on Wednesday, prompting Mr Pownall to seek an adjournment to assess the findings.
Granting his request, Mr Justice Weir replied: "If there's good reason why you need time to look at it you must have it."
Mr Pownall told the court he expected any remaining evidence from Mr McMillen could be heard at the start of next week, before saying:
"Then closing submissions on Monday and Tuesday". Mr Justice Weir insisted it would not be time wasted. "These things happen and everyone must have a proper opportunity to consider the evidence," he said. The trial was adjourned until Monday.
By Alan Erwin PA
THE marathon Omagh bomb trial is expected to finish on Tuesday, a lawyer has revealed.
Closing submissions will begin on Monday before the judge Mr Justice Weir retires to consider his verdict.
It is expected to be a reserved judgment delivered within two months. Lawyers for Sean Hoey, the south Armagh man accused of murdering 29 people in the bombing, confirmed the case was likely to close after they dealt with a new statement from a forensics witness.
Since it opened at Belfast Crown Court last September as one of the biggest criminal trials in British and Northern Ireland legal history, it has sat on 53 days. Prosecutors have attempted to prove Hoey (37) was to blame for 56 terrorist-related charges, including the August 1998 Real IRA bombing which devastated Omagh. Their case depends heavily on DNA profiling and fibres evidence.
However, amid questions over apparent alterations to a detonator used in another attack the electrician from Molly Road, Jonesborough, is accused of, forensic scientist Gordon McMillen was recalled to give evidence. Orlando Pownall QC, defending, had challenged him to give a reason for the unexplained changes to the device he studied after it was attached to 5001b of home-made explosives used in a foiled attack on an Armagh police station in May 1998.
With wrongly-labelled exhibits a key issue in the trial of Mr Hoey, who denies all charges against him, Mr McMillen was asked to re-examine the detonator after wires had apparently tripled in length and report back to the trial. His statement was given to the defence team on Wednesday, prompting Mr Pownall to seek an adjournment to assess the findings.
Granting his request, Mr Justice Weir replied: "If there's good reason why you need time to look at it you must have it."
Mr Pownall told the court he expected any remaining evidence from Mr McMillen could be heard at the start of next week, before saying:
"Then closing submissions on Monday and Tuesday". Mr Justice Weir insisted it would not be time wasted. "These things happen and everyone must have a proper opportunity to consider the evidence," he said. The trial was adjourned until Monday.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0831
Published Date: 12-Jan-07
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