DETECTIVES THREATENED TO ARREST 8-YEAR-OLD
Detectives threatened to 'arrest 8-year-old'
DETECTIVES warned the ex-wife of an Omagh bomb suspect that her eight-year-old son could be arrested, the High Court heard yesterday.
The suggestion was allegedly put to Catherine Ann McKenna by officers questioning her about a phone call to her home they believed was made by her estranged husband Seamus less than an hour after the explosion.
Recordings of some of the exchanges during days of interviews with Mrs McKenna were played at the case in Belfast against five men being sued over the dissident republican atrocity.
At one stage she was heard on tape telling police how she found out on the news about the attack on August 15, 1998.
"The Real IRA was suspected of it. When 1 heard it I said 'I hope he [McKenna] had nothing to do with it," she said.
The court was told that Mrs McKenna gave conflicting accounts during her detention in March 1999 on suspicion of withholding information.
She told how in their alleged conversation with McKenna that he claimed to be across the border in Dundalk, Co Louth.
McKenna has been named along with convicted Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly in the civil action being taken by relatives of some of the Omagh victims. All five deny responsibility.
Day nine of the case was dominated by evidence from detectives involved in questioning Mrs McKenna, who was later released without charge.
After one of the officers, John Gilmore, was quizzed about transcripts from interviews he was involved in, Detective Constable Albert Hall returned to the witness box.
He was asked by Brian Fee QC, for McKenna: "Have you ever heard of an eight-year-old boy being prosecuted for the offence of withholding information?"
When the officer confirmed he had not, the lawyer questioned why his colleagues had suggested McKenna's son could be arrested.
Although Mr Hall replied it was not a phrase he would have used, he also stressed police had been involved in a rigorous and thorough inquiry in a bid to establish the complete truth.
Mr Fee challenged him: "Does that mean if you have an investigation into a very serious offence like 29 people being murdered, in those circumstances there's a bit more lee-way with what you might get away with saying during interview?"
Mr Hall replied: "Everybody has a different style of interviewing."
The defence barrister emphasised how Mrs McKenna had been so nervous and frightened that she could not sign or even initial police forms.
Referring to passages where the woman appeared to be crying, Mr Fee also read out a section where the detective told her: "If you hadn't been telling so many bloody lies you would have been out of here long ago."
The trial continues.
DETECTIVES warned the ex-wife of an Omagh bomb suspect that her eight-year-old son could be arrested, the High Court heard yesterday.
The suggestion was allegedly put to Catherine Ann McKenna by officers questioning her about a phone call to her home they believed was made by her estranged husband Seamus less than an hour after the explosion.
Recordings of some of the exchanges during days of interviews with Mrs McKenna were played at the case in Belfast against five men being sued over the dissident republican atrocity.
At one stage she was heard on tape telling police how she found out on the news about the attack on August 15, 1998.
"The Real IRA was suspected of it. When 1 heard it I said 'I hope he [McKenna] had nothing to do with it," she said.
The court was told that Mrs McKenna gave conflicting accounts during her detention in March 1999 on suspicion of withholding information.
She told how in their alleged conversation with McKenna that he claimed to be across the border in Dundalk, Co Louth.
McKenna has been named along with convicted Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly in the civil action being taken by relatives of some of the Omagh victims. All five deny responsibility.
Day nine of the case was dominated by evidence from detectives involved in questioning Mrs McKenna, who was later released without charge.
After one of the officers, John Gilmore, was quizzed about transcripts from interviews he was involved in, Detective Constable Albert Hall returned to the witness box.
He was asked by Brian Fee QC, for McKenna: "Have you ever heard of an eight-year-old boy being prosecuted for the offence of withholding information?"
When the officer confirmed he had not, the lawyer questioned why his colleagues had suggested McKenna's son could be arrested.
Although Mr Hall replied it was not a phrase he would have used, he also stressed police had been involved in a rigorous and thorough inquiry in a bid to establish the complete truth.
Mr Fee challenged him: "Does that mean if you have an investigation into a very serious offence like 29 people being murdered, in those circumstances there's a bit more lee-way with what you might get away with saying during interview?"
Mr Hall replied: "Everybody has a different style of interviewing."
The defence barrister emphasised how Mrs McKenna had been so nervous and frightened that she could not sign or even initial police forms.
Referring to passages where the woman appeared to be crying, Mr Fee also read out a section where the detective told her: "If you hadn't been telling so many bloody lies you would have been out of here long ago."
The trial continues.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0923
Published Date: 22-Apr-08
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.